Warm Jealousy
by Smittydahur99
Summary: Juvia finds a request that requires a water mage and a dragon slayer. Who does she pick to go with her when Gajeel isn't there and Wendy is going on a mission? What happens while they are gone? and Who gets jealous? I suck at summaries, but I do hope you enjoy my story! Nalu and Gruvia! Rated T just for precaution.
1. The Mission

I own nothing! I absolutely, 100% ship Nalu and Gruvia, so guess what kind of story this is? You got it! Nalu and Gruiva with slight Gajevy. Let me know what you think in the comments, and if you have any ideas for future stories or requests, please let me know. I live to serve! Now, please enjoy my story, entitled Warm Jealousy.

The Mission

The normally, warmly dressed water mage walked into the guild hall on a warm summer day. She merely wore a light green tank top and high-cut, blue-jean shorts. Her bright blue hair was pulled into a high ponytail, yet locks of her hair covered her shoulders. With a stretch and a smile, she walked over to the paper covered corner of the guild. Juvia stared ahead at the many requests on the job board until one of them with a hefty reward caught her eye.

"Wanted, water mage and dragon slayer. There is a small dragon's nest blocking our water reservoir from reaching our town. We are afraid a drought will fall upon our village. There are about 5 small dragons in the nest that we've seen. We're desperate! Reward: 2,000,000 jewel and a night in our warm lagoons."

"This is perfect! Gajeel-kun and Juvia can finally catch up if we take this job together! One million jewel each isn't bad either!" She said excitedly as she took it off of the board. She turned to the guild in search of her old friend. She dashed towards his usual spot only to find Levy reading.

"Levy, do you know where Gajeel-kun is?" She asked tentatively.

"Ah, you just missed him. He and lily went on a two-week training mission this morning," she replied as she glanced up from her book.

"Woah, Juvia! You look smokin' today girl!" Cana called as she sat across from Levy, booze in hand.

"I have to agree, it's not often we get to see you dressed like this," the other blue haired mage added.

"Thanks Levy-chan and Can-chan," Juvia replied with a shy stutter. She turned around in search of the female dragon slayer. Spotting her at the door, she called out to her.

"Wendy! Where are you going? Are you busy?" Juvia asked.

"Carla, Happy, Lisana, and me are going on a job to take care of some bandits that are terrorizing a town, and I'm heading home to pack," she answered, "why? What's up?" She asked with a smile.

"Oh, nothing, I was just going to see if you wanted to go on a job with me. I need a dragon slayer's help, but Gajeel is out with Lily." She answered with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"In that case, why don't you ask Natsu? He's been itching to get out, but Lucy wants to stay in the guild today. He's bored out of his mind," she chuckled.

"That's a good idea," she beamed. "Thank you, Wen-Chan!" She exclaimed before walking towards Natsu and Lucy.

"Come on, Lucy! It's the perfect day out for a job!" Natsu whined. His normal vest and pants swayed as he showed his restlessness while his scarf stayed in place around his neck.

"Natsu, we made plenty of money on our last job. My rent is covered for the next three months, and then some," Lucy replied. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun on top of her head. She wore a tight, royal blue T-shirt and a pair of tight, green shorts. "Let's just be lazy today," she yawned.

"Ngh! Okay, fine." The fire-dragon slayer turned to his left and saw Gray lazily sipping on iced beer, "Come on! Fight me, Gray!" Natsu wailed.

"Chill out, flame-brain," Gray commented as he threw ice and froze Natsu's fist. On such a hot day, as expected Gray was only in his underwear.

"Gray-sama! Don't hurt him! I need Natsu-kun's help today," Juvia commented as she rushed to stand between them. Natsu, confused, stepped forward as he melted the ice around his hand.

"My help? What's up, Juvia?" He asked.

"I was wondering if you would like to go on a job with me, Na-kun," she said as she turned to hold up the piece of paper with a sweet smile. Lucy eyed the piece of paper from behind, reading what she could.

"This is awesome! I get to fight dragons and we get to visit a lagoon? I'll go let Mira know!" He chirped with a wide smile as he snatched it from her and took it to Mira.

"Wait, why are you going with ash-breath? I thought you and I went on jobs together," Gray asked as he stood. Juvia smiler slightly as he walked closer to her.

"That is true, Gray-Sama. I originally picked this job for Gajeel and I, but since he wasn't here and Wendy is busy, I asked Natsu," Juvia explained.

"So, the job calls for a dragon slayer and a water mage?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, that's correct," Juvia answered. "Oh, I meant to ask, does Na-kun still suffer from motion sickness?"

"When has he not?" Lucy answered sarcastically. "Wendy's troya spell wont even work anymore."

"Have fun dealing with that," Gray chuckled.

"Juvia hopes Gray-sama isn't angry," Juvia said silently as she faced the ground.

"No, you can do what you want," he groaned before sitting in Natsu's previous spot murmuring about fire.

"Alright, Juvia," Natsu said as he came back, "Mira is going to call the village. It says only a few towns away, so hopefully the trains will treat me okay today," Natsu said as his cheeks tented with a nasty green and he held his stomach. "Let's meet at the station in an hour."

"That's fine with Juvia," she commented back.

"Bye guys!" He said before departing. Juvia chuckled before following him towards the door. She turned towards Gray and Lucy's table before passing through the door. She mouthed the words "love rival" towards Lucy before speaking.

"See you later, My darling!" She called to Gray before disappearing.

"This is weird," Lucy commented, as she turned her attention back to the table. She twirled one a strand of hair between her fingers.

"Yeah, fire and water don't mix," Gray commented as he froze and thawed his drink repeatedly. "I don't know how they'll get anything done when their magic will probably just cancel each other out." He grumbled.

"That's not what I meant. Natsu and Juvia going on a job alone together is weird," Lucy retorted, dropping the piece of hair and glancing forward at Gray.

"I agree," Gray added. "Have they ever been on a job, much less, worked together on a mission before?" He asked.

"Come to think of it, no. I don't think so," Lucy thought aloud. "Well, at least this gets Juvia off your back for a while, right?" She chuckled. Gray looked away as a small blush crept across his cheeks.

"I guess," he murmured.

"Natsu was supposed to go shopping with me today," she said with a stretch. "I needed help carrying my bags," Lucy groaned. "Gray, would you-"

"Not a chance," he said quickly as he stood. "I'm going out to grab some food. Later," he commented before leaving the guild.

Lucy sighed as she stood. She looked around the guild to find someone else she could use as a pack mule. The blonde mage supposed Natsu had forgotten their plans to go shopping, but disregarded it._ 'He is kind of forgetful,'_ she told herself. She smiled when she spotted Cana and Levy across the hall. Sprinting towards them with a grin, she stopped at their table.

"Are you guys up for a little shopping trip?" She asked with her traditional Lucy smile.

"I thought Natsu was going with you," Levy pointed out.

"Juvia asked him to go with her on s job today, so no, he's not," she grumbled slightly.

"Sounds like someone's jealous," Cana said after she took a gulp from her mug.

"I am not, why would you say such a thing? They're just going on a job," Lucy huffed as her cheeks reddened slightly. "A job that is probably going to last three days," she mumbled to herself. "Do you guys want to go shopping or not?"

"Let's go buy slutty clothes and sexy underwear!" Cana hooted as she jumped from her seat.

"Aye, Sir!" Levy shouted as she followed Cana's lead. Lucy followed the two out of the guild. A grim smile on her face as she exited the doors.

"Stupid Natsu," She grumbled quietly as she followed the girls down the dirt path.


	2. The Journey

I hope you guys have enjoyed the story so far! I appreciate all of you! Please, leave any comments or suggestions in the comments. Thanks, you guys! I decided to go ahead and upload chapter 2! Let me know if I should continue!

The Journey

Natsu stood at the train station with two tickets in hand. He decided to buy Juvia's ticket for her since she invited him on a mission. If he was honest with himself, he was nervous. Sure, he had fought along side Lucy, so he wasn't afraid of that. He just hadn't been on a job with any other girl besides Lucy in a while. He wondered how their magic would work together or if it even would work. Wouldn't they cancel each other out?

"Natsu!" a feminine voice called. He turned around and saw Juvia running towards him with a decent sized back pack on her shoulders. "I need to go buy my ticket, and we will be all set to go!"

"I got you covered," he said as he handed her one of the tickets.

"Thanks, Na-kun, but you didn't have to get Juvia's," she smiled, "ready to board?"

"Last call for the train to Doragonragūn. Last call for Doragonragūn," the coach announced over the intercom.

"That's us," Juvia cheered.

"Hooray," Natsu groaned as he followed Juvia onto the train. They took the last set of open seats in the middle of the train. Shortly after boarding, the train began to move. Natsu leaned onto his side, his head falling onto his backpack.

"Na-kun, I picked up something for you," Juvia said as she began searching in her pack.

"Wha-what's that," he mumbled. She found a small jar in her bag and knelt down beside his seat. She pushed him up into a sitting position and held the jar to his mouth.

"Here, open up your mouth," she told him. He did as he was told, and she poured a small mixture of herbs into his mouth followed by another jar of sugar water. "I know it tastes bitter, but this sugar water should help. This is supposed to help with your motion sickness." She told him.

"Thanks, I appreciate it," he mumbled. Juvia moved to his seat and put his back pack on the ground she then sat on the seat and moved his head to rest on her thighs. "What are y-you doing?" he asked, attempting to move.

"Juvia did some research about motion sickness. I just need to stabilize the fluid in the canals in your head," she explained as she touched both of her hands to his forehead.

"Fluids? What?" he mumbled.

"Just sit still," she chuckled before beginning to concentrate once more.

The water mage focused her magic into her hands, feeling the water swirl beneath them beside Natsu's temple. She rotated them around to the sides of Natsu's head and slowly pushed him into a sitting position. Natsu sat up slowly and registered that he didn't feel sick anymore. He turned to look at Juvia, shocked and impressed.

"Better?" she asked as she moved back to her seat.

"Much, thanks," he said as he flashed one of his smiles. He resumed his original position before the train began to move. "Are you nervous for the mission at all?"

"No, Juvia is excited. Juvia has not been on a job with Na-kun before!" she said with cheery cheeks.

"It will be different," Natsu said calmly as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Does Na-kun regret coming with Juvia?" she asked with concern. Natsu looked up with a shy grin that settled her nerves.

"No, its not that," he answered, "I just remembered I told Lucy I would go shopping with her today," he chuckled as he scratched the side of his face.

"Awe! Na-kun looooves her!" Juvia cheered as she clasped her hands together. Natsu took in a sharp breath as a blush crept across his cheeks. "Ah, this is perfect. Now Juvia and Lucy are no longer love rivals!"

"You sound like Happy," he mumbled, "but I don't know if she likes me, too, Juvia," Natsu whispered. "To be honest, I was going to pick her out something at the market today. She had been telling me about this jewelry store she likes," he added.

"Juvia will go with Na-kun to pick out a neckless for Lu-chan!" she told him. "Juvia has the perfect idea of what to buy. We will go when we return from this mission, is that okay?" she smiled as she placed her hands in her lap.

"Deal," Natsu smiled.

-Three hours later-

"Passengers, we've arrived at Doragonragūn. Have a pleasant visit," a masculine voice over the intercom spoke.

"Oh, yeah! I'm all fired up. Let's go fight some dragons!" Natsu said as he threw a fist into the air. Juvia looked down at the map in her hands and searched for the pathway.

"It's this way," she motioned as she walked forward. They passed through a busy, small village before disappearing onto a grassy path. Their way was marked with a stone pathway. The deeper they walked, the darker the terrain became. Shaded with thick three branches, the sun couldn't break through. Fire flies swarmed around them, providing pearls of light in the darkness.

"Juvia wishes Gray-sama were here. This is such a beautiful place," Juvia smiled as her hands touched the sides of her face. "I bet Na-kun wishes Lucy were here, too," she chuckled as Natsu's flames illuminated the small pink areas on his face.

"Let's keep walking, I can smell people ahead," he told her as he continued his march forward.

"Na-kun, do you think we can handle five dragons on our own?" She asked as she caught up to him.

"Well, the flyer said they were small dragons, and the only small dragons I know of are the Chīsana ryū. They're stronger than they are smart or quick. As long as they don't land many attacks on us, we should be good. Make sure you aim for the bright stone-looking spot on their chests. A good hit to that spot will knock them out for sure," Natsu said as they walked into a brighter patch of the trail. "We should be able to relocate them to a different part of the forest then."

"Wow, I didn't know you knew so much," Juvia answered.

"I must put up a good front then," he winked as he put a finger over his lips. "The villagers are ahead, lets hurry!" Natsu called as he dashed down the path.

Juvia stood, stunned. Slowly, she made her pace to catch him once again. She couldn't believe herself. She had been doing the very thing to Natsu that had been done to her for so many years. She assumed that he just rushed into things with no knowledge, no preparation. That he was reckless and lucky. The very same things that so many had said about her. Juvia looked forward as she saw Natsu waving to her. Villagers came closer to him as he waited. He turned to them with crossed arms, and a serious expression. Juvia stepped closer, never again would she doubt this dragon slayer.

"We are so glad you have arrived, wizards of Fairy tale!" The village chief said as he threw open his arms. Natsu flashed his winning smile.

"My name's Natsu, and this is Juvia. One dragon slayer, and one water mage at your service!" He said.

"We're so pleased to meet you," the chief told them. "We are desperate. Our village will not survive much longer without water. Our barrels are dry, and the lake is merely a dust pond."

"Juvia will help you," she said as she threw out her arms. The four barrels beside the nearest building were filled to the brim with cool water. Gasps and cheers called from the crowd.

"Oi," Natsu said as he turned to Juvia, "doesn't that drain you a lot?" he asked quietly.

"Juvia is fine. No need to worry. When we fight the dragons, I'll be sure to hit the water there," she smiled. "besides, I don't want to see these people suffer, just look at how thirsty they all are." She said as she turned. Natsu followed her glance towards the tribe.

"Right," Natsu said with a nod. His fists lit with flames, "I'm all fired up, now!"


	3. Comfort

Wow! You guys are awesome! This is kind of a filler chapter to build up to the next one. I do NOT ship Gray and Lucy, but that is just me. I do adore their friendship though! Don't forget this is a Gruvia and Nalu story! Thanks for reading this far! I hope you enjoy my story! P.S. forgive me if I mess up with my titles!

Comfort

Lucy turned to her friends who were changing into new summer clothes. She looked around the colorful store, smiling sadly. She enjoyed time with her friends, but she was worried about a certain pink haired mage. The blonde sat on the couch, waiting for Cana and Levy to emerge from the changing rooms and show off their outfits.

"Lu-chan!" Levy called as she burst from the behind the curtain and ran towards her friend, "I found the perfect outfit for you! You should definitely go try this one on!" the script mage insisted as she shoved an outfit in Lucy's hands.

"Come on girl, let's see it!" Cana agree as she helped push Lucy into the nearest changing room and pull the curtain shut.

The celestial mage smirked down at the outfit before she began to undress so that she could change. Her friends had good taste. She pulled on the last article of clothing, checking herself in the mirror before exiting. Lucy slowly pushed the curtain back as she came out of the small area. She was wearing a salmon pink tank top with a sleeveless, collarless, black vest and tight, black, shorty shorts. The vest had a golden symbol of fire on the back. The shorts had gold fabric sown into the legs of the shorts. She also wore black sandals, and her hair was pulled into a high pony tail with strands hanging down the sides of her face. She also wore a fiery smirk and determined eyes with her hands placed on her hips.

"Woah! You look good, Luce!" Cana called with a whistle.

"It really does look good on you, Lu-chan!" Levy winked. "Natsu would definitely approve." Lucy blushed before looking into the mirror. Her bangs hid her face as she looked down.

"What's going on with you, Luce?" Cana asked as she sat forward. "Something wrong?"

"No, no, I'm alright!" Lucy chuckled nervously, waving them off as she adjusted the vest.

"Is it because Juvia asked Natsu to go with her on a job?" Levy thought aloud, glancing to her friend for a reaction.

"H-how did you know about that?" Lucy stuttered, moving closer to the two on the couch.

"She came to me looking for Gajeel," the script mage answered. "Wendy was leaving with Lisanna, so I assumed she would have asked him as a last resort."

"Yeah, she did," Lucy sighed, plopping down between the girls.

"Don't tell me you're jealous, Lu-chan," Cana winked.

"I'm not jealous! Why would I be jealous?" she squealed as her blush deepened. Cana smirked as she pulled out her cards. "Hey! Don't read my future in front of me!"

"Yep, defiantly jealous," Cana muttered. "If you want to get his attention, you should get that outfit and wear it on a date," Cana added.

"Yeah! Make him see what he's missing!" Levy cheered.

"I don't know, I don't want to ruin what we have now. I don't feel like I need to make him see me," Lucy mumbled.

"Whatever you say, Lucy!" Levy laughed.

The trio undressed and gathered their outfits before they headed towards the cashier and paid for their new clothes. At the front of the store, the group parted ways. Lucy headed towards her apartment and Cana and Levy headed for the girls' dorms. Pulling herself up the stairs, the blonde mage grumbled as she searched for her house key. She heard a sudden, quiet rumble behind her door. A small smile crossed her face before she shoved the door open.

"Alright, you two!" She hollered as she pointed a finger with a hand on her hip, "Just because I'm gone doesn't mean you can-"

"Lucyyyyyyy!" the small blue cat whined as he threw himself into her chest.

"Eh? Happy? What's wrong?" she asked as she petted his head, sitting her new bag of clothes on the floor.

"I can't find Natsu!" he answered as he clung to her. "He's not at home, the guild, or here!"

"Silly cat, Natsu is on a mission," Lucy cooed. "Juvia asked him to accompany her on a job that needed a water mage and a dragon slayer," she explained.

"How come they didn't ask anyone else to come?" he asked as he looked up to her with gleaming eyes.

"The job only called for two wizards," she answered. "Besides, neither of them asked anyone else to come."

"He should have left me a note or something! I was so worried!" he whined.

"He's okay, they should be back in a day or so. I'll tell him he owes you some fish, okay?" Lucy said as she scratched his ears.

"Thanks, Lucy. You're the best," he whispered, hugging her as he fell asleep in her arms.

"Stupid Natsu," she mumbled as she carefully shifted the small cat in her arms. "You have Happy worked into a fit because you're not here," she thought aloud.

Lucy tucked Happy into her bed and cracked her window open as she turned to the bag she placed on the floor. Picking it up, she pulled out the various outfits and hung them up in her closet. She stopped when she pulled out the outfit Levy and Cana picked out for her. She smoothed out the fabric before hanging it in front of her other clothes.

The blonde stretched as she turned to the door that lead to her bathroom. She glanced towards Happy and smiled as the small cat slept on her bed. She walked into the small room and shed her clothes as she started a warm bath. As she eased into the tub, she couldn't help but think of her fire mage as the warmth of the water covered her bare body. Releasing a sigh, she hadn't realized she was holding, she closed her eyes. 'Why do I feel this way?' she thought.

"Stupid Juvia, Stupid Natsu," she mumbled as she sunk deeper into the tub, a soft layer of bubbles tickled her neck.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," a voice said from the window. Lucy gasped as she hid her body in the tub.

"Gray! What the hell are you doing here? I'm taking a bath! Get out, Get out!" She shouted as she threw various loofas, soaps, cloths, and shampoos at him.

"Would you chill out?" he asked as he caught the items and dropped them onto the floor, "I just wanted to see how you were doing since cinder-breath isn't here."

"Who says I need him here? And what, pray tell, does that have to do with you?" she asked as she crossed her arms.

"You guys are always together just like how Juvia is with me," he answered simply. "Annoying as she may be, its different with her not nagging me or ogling me. I don't know… it's weird. I felt like you understood, you know?" he said as he looked outside towards the streets.

"I get it," she said as she pulled her knees to her chest. "It's still strange that those two took on a job together."

"Yeah, I wish we could have gone, too," he mumbled as his bangs covered his eyes, "she could have kept all of the reward," he muttered.

"They'll be alright," Happy said as he flew into the bathroom. "Sure, it's weird, but it does give them the chance to get to know each other's fighting styles better. It could be good practice for our next battle," the cat said excitedly.

"You're right, but it doesn't make me feel any better," Gray mumbled.

"They should be back by tomorrow, so don't sulk so much," Happy laughed. Lucy smiled as she rested her head on her knees.

"Yo, Luce. Need me to wash your back?" Gray asked as he suddenly appeared behind her, now shirtless, reaching his hands forward.

"Get out, pervert!" she shouted as he was thrown from the window. "And put on some clothes!"

"Thanks for letting me use your bed, Lucy," Happy yawned.

"Its no big deal," she replied. "I'll be out in a second. I can fix us some dinner. How does grilled fish and miso soup sound?"

"Leave my fish raw, and you've got a deal!" he squealed. "I'll set the table for us!" he shouted as he flew away. Lucy chuckled as she finished cleaning her chest and neck.

"You better come back soon, Natsu," she mumbled. _'And you'd better like the outfit I picked out.'_


	4. The Battle

Thanks so much for reading this far! Your comments and reviews so far have been greatly appreciated! Thank you, guys, for your support. I don't ship Juvia and Natsu, but I thought it would be a fun little twist to think with an open mind. This isn't a Natsuvia story though! I'm exploring Natsu and Juvia's friendship…okay maybe I have curiosity…

The Battle

The next morning, Juvia and Natsu made their way through the dense forest, following the river until thy reached the pile of rocks and limbs that blocked the clear, blue water from flowing through its natural canal. Sniffing the air, Natsu quickly grabbed onto Juvia's arm and tugged her to hide in a bush next to him. Her big blue eyes looked to him curiously as he covered his lips with his finger.

"I smell them, the dragons. They're about a mile away," he said.

"Should we go ahead and get rid of their nest?" she asked.

"No, we need to leave it in its place, but I need to get you into that water so your strength will be restored to its fullest," he explained as he furrowed his brows, keeping his guard up.

"Couldn't we just walk to the river bank?" she asked.

"We could, but our scent will be all over their nesting area if we do," he thought aloud, "We should wait until they get closer and settled. We can sneak around them, and go farther up the river. You can do your thing, and we can attack."

"How do you think we should attack?" she asked as she turned to face him.

"Normally, I would just go in head first, but these are dragons," he hesitated, "It smells like there are five or six of them. We should be able to take out a few each on our own."

"You give me too much faith, I'm only a water mage, not a dragon slayer," she reiterated with a sad chuckle.

"Hey, dragon slayer or not, these dragons are nothing compared to your hidden strengths, Juvia. I've seen you fight, so don't doubt yourself. Like I said, aim for the stone-looking spot on their chest," he said as he landed a fist to his torso before he turned to her with one of his breath-taking smiles, "We've got this."

"Right," she smiled as she turned bright her eyes away from him, "I will follow your lead, Na-kun."

Natsu turned his head towards the nest as five dragons flew closer to their nest. There were four smaller ones and one rather large beast. The alpha. Natsu narrowed his eyes as the largest one sniffed the air around the nest before flying closer to the two wizards. Natsu pulled Juvia behind him as he readied for an attack. A sudden whine from the nest caught the alpha's attention. He turned back to his nest, forgetting his prior mission. Natsu turned to Juvia and pushed a finger to his lips. Juvia nodded as she watched him carefully look around.

"Put your arms around my neck and hold on," he whispered. Juvia looked at him questioningly before doing as she was told.

Natsu jumped into the nearest tree and disappeared into its branches with Juvia desperately clutching onto his torso with her arms and legs. The dragon slayer jumped from tree to tree carefully and quietly, brushing through the tree tops. Juvia hadn't noticed how comfortable and warm Natsu was. The warmth of his back burned through his vest and against her clothed chest, but she found it comforting, even though it was a direct contradiction to the ice mage. The slayer turned to look at the water mage, assuming that her tight grip on him to be nerves, he continued. Stopping once in a while to make sure they weren't followed. Soon, he dropped from the trees to the ground with a soft thud, Juvia clung to his warmth, unaware at how they stopped.

"Uhm, Juvia? We're here," he chuckled. Juvia opened her eyes as she scrambled off of him, blushing.

"Oh! Um, sorry, you're just so warm," she said as she hid her face.

"Yeah, I reckon the tree tops were kind of cool, sorry about that," he chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "I got us about a half a mile away from them. We should have enough time for you to recharge."

"What about you?" she asked as she stepped a foot into the calm lake.

"I ate some of the fire the villagers had, I'm ready!" he cheered.

"Na-kun, what if Juvia created a strong current in the water so that the nest starts to break down?"

"That could work. Cause a diversion in the least," he added. I can come in through the trees and land the final blow to the nest, but we will have to immediately be ready for backfire."

"Juvia will travel through the water to ambush if she can before joining you in the fight," she smiled, determined. Natsu returned her smile.

"Alright, I'm fired up!"

The duo split up as each of them headed for the nest in front of the river. Juvia created a rush of water to follow her as she pushed towards the pile of rocks and tree limbs. Natsu watched from the trees as she got closer. He saw her water body stop short of the nest as a powerful wave woke the dragons from their slumber. Cracks and crumbling from the nest flowed into the springs of water that flowed through. Natsu jumped from the trees, his fists and feet catching flame.

"Fire Dragon Talon!" he cried as he crashed into the remains of the nest.

The dragons flew upward and watched as debris from their nest floated away from its spot and into the now flowing river. Angry, they looked around for the two mages. Suddenly, Natsu sprang from the water, his fist collided with the hard stone-shaped portion of a smaller dragon's chest. Juvia jumped in as well, knocking another one from the sky with a water fist. Two dragons fell unconscious onto the river bank. Natsu turned to the sky and rocketed into the air with flames flying from his feet. He went for a kick, but his foot was caught in the palm of another, small dragon's hand. Jerking so that he could land a punch, his fist was caught buy the same dragon's other claw. Natsu was being held far away from the dragon's body, so that he couldn't land a blow.

"Juvia! Look out! Behind you!" he called to her from his captive position.

Whirling around, she saw the creature coming towards her. Another smaller dragon came from behind and she quickly and skillfully jumped from its path. She landed in the rushing river. Using a water cyclone, she floated in a whirling rush of water to the dragon's height from behind.

"Water slicer!" she roared as the dragon turned, a perfect shot and that dragon was rendered unconscious, landing next to the other two dragons.

Juvia was torn from her short victory by a yell from Natsu. Turning, she saw him scream in pain as the dragon crushed one his arms in his hand. Juvia rushed towards him as he grimaced.

"Fire dragon ROAR!" he shouted as flames burned from his throat.

The dragon yelped as it caught fire and dropped the dragon slayer into the water. Juvia swooped in with a water claw to its chest, sending the creature flying into a tree, out like a light. She dashed towards Natsu and helped him stand, noticing the bruising forming on his arm.

"Na-kun…"

"I'm fine, lets finish this," he growled.

The alpha dragon stood last, towering over them at a height of at least twenty feet. Angry puffs of smoke shot from his nostrils. Tusks adorned the angry grin the monster held. Natsu moved to stand in front of Juvia, but she quickly jumped at his side.

"This is going to be tough," he told her.

"Maybe not," she told him. He looked to her, confused. "Have you ever done a unison raid?" she asked.

"Would it work?" he asked as he thought aloud. "Aren't our magics too different?"

"We won't know unless we try," she added, holding out one of her hands. Natsu looked to her and accepted her offered hand. She placed her other hand on his shoulder, careful not to touch the injured arm. She was shocked when Natsu's hand touched her hip.

"Better balance, right?" he asked seriously. Juvia nodded her head. The two faced forward at the dragon that had charged them. They spoke in sync.

"Magic Power Fusion," they shouted. Three magic circles appeared above them, the first was blue, the second was red, and the last and largest was purple.

"Fire dragon…"

"Water…"

"Wing Attack!"

"Nebula!"

"AHHH!" they shouted as whirls of fire and water blended around them to form a scorching torpedo of purple water. The attack hit its target and cracked the stone of the dragon's chest, sending it flying far away. The dragon dropped to the ground with a thud, marking another victory for team fairy tail.

"We did it, Na-kun!" Juvia cheered as she fell back into the water alongside the barely standing Natsu.

"This was fun! We need to go on more missions together!" Natsu smiled. Juvia felt her cheeks light up as Natsu helped her up from the water. "I think the villagers built a raft for the dragons so that they could float down the river together. What do you say we load them up and ship them down stream?" he asked.

"Let's do it!" She smiled.


	5. Break Time

I appreciate you guys and your patience as I work on this story! There is more to come. As for how many chapters there will be, I am not sure. But I will do my best to make this story enjoyable and not too long! I hope you like it so far! As a reminder, I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters. Rate and Reviews are appreciated(:

Break Time!

It was late in the afternoon before the water mage and the dragon slayer finished their work. They retired to their room at the villa. Natsu collapsed on his bed and began snoring, not bothering to shed his dirty attire. With a chuckle, the rain woman shed her sweat-soaked clothes and put a towel around her torso before turned to the back doors, sliding them open and closed quietly. Juvia sighed as she was finally able to relax her tensed muscles in the warmth of their hot springs. The villagers offered Natsu and Juvia a single room with a private hot spring and a pass to visit the lagoon not so far away.

Juvia tugged her towel tightly across her body before situating herself comfortably against the stony walls of the spring. Her hair flowed freely behind her as the heat from the steam flustered her cheeks. The warmth of the water reminded her of the comfort of her friend. The way his heat radiated against her through the thin layer of clothing he wore. Shaking her head at the thought, she opened her eyes as Natsu walked through the door, coming outside with a small towel tied around his waist. He stopped short, seeing Juvia in the hot spring.

"Would you be weirded out if I joined you? I'll sit on the other side," he asked naïvely as he stood still on the porch, waiting for an answer.

"Juvia doesn't mind," she told him as she sunk a little deeper into the water, hiding her breasts. Natsu nodded before making his way into a corner diagonal from Juvia.

"Oh, man I could get used to this," he groaned as he sunk to his neck.

"How is your injury?" she asked as she scooted a bit closer, careful that her towel didn't stray.

"Its alright," he answered before turning to look at her, "You're not going to try to kick me like Lucy does, right?" he chuckled.

"No, Juvia just wanted to look at your arm," she chuckled before taking a spot arm's length away from him. Natsu raised his arm from the water and turned to face the water mage.

"It's not that bad," he mumbled. Upon closer inspection. Juvia saw the claw-shaped bruise that had formed around his arm as well as the swelling and a gash that formed across his forearm, it was coated in dry blood. Her eyes narrowed as a grunt escaped her lips.

"Juvia is sorry for not helping you sooner," she said honestly as she reached for the bench behind her, pulling a small cloth from it.

"Its no big deal. It will make for a cool scar," he laughed. Juvia gently grabbed his arm and began to gently clean some of the caked on, dried blood from his wound.

Suddenly, their door slid open once more. One of the villagers that owned the villa came through and walked towards them with a small bucket in hand. She sat it down beside them, revealing the bottle of cool wine and two glasses.

"It's on the house. To show our appreciation for your work. We hope you two have a lovely evening," she smiled before disappearing back into the villa.

"Uh, what was that?" Natsu asked.

"Juvia isn't sure, but she gave us a sweet wine. Does Na-kun want to open it?" Juvia asked.

"I don't see why not," he answered. He grabbed the bottle and popped the cork off before he poured Juvia and him a glass. Handing it to her, he settled back into the warmth of the spring. Juvia held her glass out.

"A toast," Juvia declared. Natsu raised his glass as well. "To a new friendship and teamwork."

"Aye, sir," Natsu chuckled as the sound of glass tapping glass rang through their chuckles. After both took a sip, Natsu spoke. "Juvia, you know you are welcome to come on missions with all of us if you want."

"You mean, with Team Natsu," she asked.

"Yeah," he smiled. "We could do another unison raid and show everybody."

"Juvia would like that!" She cheered.

The duo laughed as their bubbly personalities were brought out further by the consumption of the sweet alcohol. Once the wine was gone and the heat had gotten to their heads, they decided to head to bed since they would be heading home tomorrow.

"You go ahead and get out," Natsu said, still slightly sober, being able to handle alcohol. "I'll wait here until you get dressed."

"Thanks, Na-kun," Juvia replied before climbing out of the water, careful to keep the towel around her.

She wobbled a moment before she dashed inside, leaving Natsu to his thoughts. The dragon slayer pulled his unharmed arm from the water. He made his hand into a fist before opening his palm. A small, gold and red flame danced in his hand. Concentrating carefully, he watched the fire take shape and form. It shaped into the fairy tail emblem at first before falling into a puddle of flames. Grunting, he tried again, a different shape this time. Using the heat from the spring as a boost, his flames grew hotter, more golden. The shape that formed this time made him smile. It was simple, but something small as a key could sway his thoughts towards her.

"Na-kun, you can come in now," Juvia called as she stuck her head outside the door.

Pushing himself out of the water, he made his way inside and changed into his sleepwear, abandoning his shirt. He crawled into his bed and cuddled his pillow. The light buzz in his head made him face feelings he didn't want to think about. Bringing his knees to touch the pillow, he sighed. He missed Happy and Lucy, but he wouldn't admit it out loud.

~~WJ~~

The blonde celestial mage walked around the familiar pathway to her apartment. She stopped and looked down at her reflection in the water. Her hair was tied in two log pig tails. She was wearing a red t-shirt and blue jean shorts. Her black and white shoes provided a nice comparison to her tan legs. Noticing one of her shoes was untied, she bent down to fix it.

"Careful, Miss Lucy! Don't fall in!" One man called to her from his boat.

"I've got this!" she chuckled as she called back, putting too much force in her step, she began to slip forward. Before she could touch the water, ice slid in front of her, freezing the water and providing something she could push against so that she could stand once more. "Thanks, ice-block," she smirked.

"Woah, what's with the insult, Lucy? You sound like flame-head," he chuckled.

"Somebody has to pick a fight with you when he's not here," she retorted.

"It looks like someone has to save you when he's not here, too," he mumbled. Lucy quickly jumped forward and kicked him into the water.

"Careful, you might get hurt," she mused before continuing her way to her apartment. Gray was suddenly beside her, almost nude.

"You owe me dry clothes," he stated as he followed her inside her apartment.

Shutting the door behind him, Gray watched as she rummaged through her drawers. She pulled out a large t-shirt and pants before throwing them at him.

"Hey! You-"

"Shhh!" She called before pointing to the sleeping blue cat on her bed.

"What is the cat doing here?" he asked, amused, "and whose clothes are these?"

"Natsu," she stated, answering both questions. Gray simply nodded before following Lucy back into the living room.

"They come back tomorrow, eh?" Gray asked. Lucy nodded her head as she sat down two cups of tea in front of them.

"I bet the lagoons were nice," Lucy stated, taking a sip of her drink. "You know, part of their reward was a visit to their private hot springs?"

"Yeah, I wonder if they stayed in the same room," Gray thought aloud.

"Who cares if they did," Lucy huffed.

"You and I care," Gray corrected. Lucy groaned before taking another swig from her glass.

"Natsu is to dumb to flirt, so you don't have anything to worry about," she muttered.

"Juvia isn't the brightest when it comes to that either," Gray added.

"She is goo-goo for her Gray-sama," Lucy chuckled, earning a blush from the ice-make mage.

"You gunna wear that new outfit for Natsu when they get back?" Gray asked.

"I didn't get it for Natsu," she mumbled. "Besides, they might be tired when they come back."

"Sure, but I am sure they will stop by the guild first. They have fill gramps in on how the mission went," he retorted. Lucy smiled slightly before a yawn escaped her lips.

"That's true," she answered. "I'm going to sleep. Feel free to use the couch if you want," she mumbled as she stretched.

"Goodnight, Lucy!" Gray yawned.

"Goodnight."


	6. Going Home

You guys are awesome! Thank you for supporting my story! Continue to leave reviews and let me know how my work is! I love you all! P.S. I'm sorry that this chapter is kind of long!

Going Home

Natsu and Juvia boarded the morning train home with each of their bags now full of both food and jewel. They waved goodbye to the chief and his villagers as they began to exit the station. The villagers had been kind enough to fill their bags full for their journey home and insisted on taking them to the train station. While they were waiting for the train to arrive, Juvia gave Natsu the last bit of the potion herbs and sugar water. She stabilized the fluid in his head once they boarded and the train began moving. Smiling in relief Natsu slumped against his seat, careful not to bump his injured arm.

"How is your motion sickness?" Juvia asked as she retreated to her seat, curious if the remedy had worked once more.

"I feel fine, just ready to be back, you know?" he smiled. Juvia couldn't help but return the gesture before glancing out the window.

"I had fun with you, Na-kun. If you wouldn't mind, I would like to go with you on more missions…" she trailed.

"That sounds like fun! I'm sure Lucy, Happy, Erza, and Gray would like to join us next time, too!" He replied. "I can't wait to tell Lucy and Happy that I got to do a unison raid for the first time!"

"It was beautiful. I had never seen purple water like that before," she added_. 'I meant us two…' _she admitted in her head._ 'But I hadn't felt that warm before,'_ she thought as she looked to the dragon slayer. _'It's like his magic flowed through me during our unison raid.' _Smiling at the thought of how close they became, she leaned against the cool glass of the window and watched the towns and trees rush by as they made their way home.

~~WJ~~

Meanwhile, Gray and Lucy waited at their usual table for the duo to return. Each time the doors would swing open, Lucy would look to them in hope but frown when it wasn't who she expected.

"They're on their way back," Mira said as she came to bring Lucy and Gray something to drink. "They contacted the guild about half an hour ago, so they should be back around one."

"Thanks, Mira," Lucy smiled as the white-haired mage disappeared behind the counter again. Gray took a sip of his beer and rested his head on his arms.

~~WJ~~

Natsu and Juvia made their way off of the train. The afternoon breeze cooled the fire mage's warm muscles. Stretching once they were out of the station, Natsu groaned as his tense muscles sprang back to life. Reaching back down to grab his bag, he was stopped by the water mage gently grabbing his shoulder.

"You're hurt, Na-kun. Let Juvia carry your bag for you," she said as she attempted to lift it. She hadn't realized how heavy his bag had become.

"It's alright, Juvia. I still have one good arm. What do you say we head to the market and pick out something for Lucy? After all, you said you would help me," he winked. "You can pick out something for ice-breath, too."

"Let's go!" she chimed, hiding her guilt.

She felt so bad for forgetting her precious Gray-sama. She had no idea what to get him, but suddenly she remembered Mirajane mentioning something about Gray being a fan of cheesecakes. Maybe she could make him one? Oh, but the last time she attempted to make him food, she failed miserably. Natsu noticed a gloomy look in her eyes.

"Something the matter?" he asked as they walked into the open market.

"No, Natsu, I'm fine," she smiled.

"Now I know something is wrong. You always call me Na-kun," he said as he stopped in front of her. "Tell me."

"It's just, Juvia wanted to make Gray-sama a cheese cake, but Juvia can't cook well," she looked down. Sighing, Natsu decided to let her in on a secret.

"When me and Gray were younger, Mira tried to teach us how to bake and cook, but ice-block didn't listen. I learned how to cook and bake years ago, so I got your back. Just don't tell anyone, only Lucy and Happy know," he blushed.

"You'll help me?" she asked as she clasped her hands together.

"Since you're helping me find something for Lucy, I think it's only fair," he answered.

"Thanks so much, Na-kun," she smiled. Natsu turned and faced the jewelry stand that Lucy had told him about. He looked down at the various pieces, confused.

"If I may, you are the Salamander of Fairy Tail?" the jeweler asked.

"That's me," he answered.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I've seen your fire magic and I think it's brilliant," the jeweler replied.

"Thanks," Natsu flashed a smile.

"If you're looking for a trinket for your lady-friend, I would suggest this one," the man behind the counter offered as he glanced at Juvia.

"Its not for Juvia," the water mage waved him off, "Its for his friend, Lucy," she smiled.

"Is she special to you?" the man asked. Natsu's blush was answer enough.

"It's a beautiful necklace," Juvia replied. It was a clear crystal necklace that hung from a thin, golden chain. "It's simple, but I think it is something Lucy would like."

"That's not all it is, miss. You see, you can transfer some of your magic into the crystal. Then, it becomes something like a tracking device. You simply say, find Natsu, and the crystal will lift from its position and point the wearer into your direction," he explained.

"That's neat," Natsu mused with his arms crossed.

"I will give you a good deal, and I will help you with the setup, if you like?" he asked.

"What do you think, Juvia?" Natsu asked.

"Its perfect," She answered.

"Alright, you have a deal. How much?" the dragon slayer asked.

"Fifty thousand Jewel, please," the jeweler replied. Natsu dug around in his bag, and with Juvia's help, handed the man his payment. The jeweler then unclasped the lock on the crystal and it opened. "Now, activate your magic in your hand, the crystal will absorb some of it until its full."

"Okay," Natsu did as he was told and watched as his flames were pulled into the locket. Suddenly, the locket closed and Natsu's flames disappeared. A small seal formed on the locket then disappeared.

"All done. That seal keeps the magic locked inside. It won't fade this way," he explained, handing Natsu the locket in its original red box. "Thank you for your business, Mr. Salamander," the man smiled.

"Pleasure," Natsu replied, tucking the box into his pocket. He and Juvia began to head for the market's exit. Suddenly, a man in a rush bumped into Juvia and knocked her into Natsu's chest. He caught her, looking down concerned for a moment before hollering at the man who pushed her. "Watch where you are going, you jerk!"

"It's alright, Na-kun," she soothed as she placed a hand on his bare chest. She felt her face heat up for a moment before pushing herself off of him, earning a confused glance from Natsu.

~~WJ~~

Gray was growing frustrated, the time now being three thirty in the afternoon. Lucy merely picked at the food in front of her. She looked up to her friend, seeing his beer was frozen as were parts of the table.

"Hey, do you want to go take a walk?" she asked.

"No," he answered flatly.

"Come on. I'm sure they're fine," Lucy insisted. "I bet Natsu has been holding them up because of his motion sickness. They'll be back soon. Until then, lets go walk for a bit."

"Okay," he mumbled as he stood up. Lucy followed him out the door.

~~WJ~~

Natsu and Juvia turned and left the market. The duo headed to Natsu's place so that he could drop off his heavy bag and change out his bandages. Reaching the front door, he quickly unlocked it and held the door open for the water mage, unaware of the two pairs of lingering eyes behind them. Juvia looked around at the messy home. _'He isn't as clean as Gray-sama,'_ she noted. She looked around the room and saw many photos from his childhood at Fairy Tail. Smiling, she thought, _'he certainly is sentimental.'_ Soon, they were off, headed to the girls' building of Fairy Tai.

~~WJ~~

While Natsu and Juvia were inside, Gray and Lucy were hiding behind some brush beside the small shack. Gray seethed as ice began to grow beneath his feet. Lucy noticed this and popped him on the head.

"What do you think you're doing? Get a grip!" she whispered.

"Why is she inside flame-brain's house?" he asked.

"Like I would know!" she answered, earning a low growl from the ice mage. They both turned their attention to the door as the duo left, heading back down the trail to Fairy Tail. Gray and Lucy followed quietly and quickly behind them.

~~WJ~~

Once Natsu and Juvia reached the familiar dorms, the night sky had come to greet them. Natsu reached for one of the twin doors, but they were suddenly stopped by the fiery red-head from entering.

"Where do you think you're going, Natsu?" Erza asked as she pointed a sword towards him. The dragon slayer held up his arms in surrender.

"I just came to help Juvia make a cheese cake, don't attack me!" he yelped.

"Cheesecake?" Erza asked as hearts formed in her eyes, and she dropped her sword. "Could you make me a strawberry one?" she asked before she looked to his arm. "You're hurt?"

"Its no big deal, a dragon just busted my forearm up," he shrugged.

"Come on inside, Wendy can heal your arm, and then you have to make three cheesecakes," she ordered, opening the doors.

"Three?" he whined.

"One for me, one for Wendy since she has to fix your arm, and one for Juvia," she cleared.

"Erza knows that Natsu can cook?" Juvia asked.

"I caught him helping Mira in the kitchen once. He makes amazing fireball pasta," Erza drooled as they walked inside. "Wendy! Come here, please!" she called as the group walked into the kitchen.

~~WJ~~

"Why the hell are they going in there? And why the double hell is Erza letting him in there?!" the ice mage practically shouted.

"I don't know," Lucy trailed as she looked away from the dorms. Gray noticed Lucy's unease. He turned his gaze back to the doors before looking back down to Lucy.

"Let's just go home. We can sort all of this out later," he told her as he turned to leave. Lucy followed behind him quietly.

~~WJ~~

"Na-kun, Erza-chan, I'm going to put my stuff up," Juvia called before disappearing.

"Did you call me, Erza-san?" Wendy asked as she walked into the kitchen, smiling when the pink-haired boy came into her vision. "Natsu-san!" she smiled as she ran to his side and hugged him. "How did your mission go?" she asked.

"It wasn't that bad, we got it taken care of," he answered.

"His arm was crushed," Juvia interjected as she returned.

"Crushed?" Wendy gasped. "Let me take care of it for you!"

Erza and Wendy moved to unwrap Natsu's arm and gasped at the damage. Natsu waved it off as nothing serious. Erza looked through the cabinets for gauze while Juvia searched for ingredients. Wendy proceeded to heal the wound, but Natsu soon stopped her, seeing that she was tired from the amount of magic she had already poured into the wound.

"I'm fine, Natsu-san. Let me finish," she insisted with small beads of sweat rolling down her cheek.

"Wendy, I know you're still tired from your last mission," Natsu told her, grasping one of her hand gently. "I will be fine after tomorrow thanks to you! Go rest, and let me make you a cheesecake!" he convinced as he flashed another smile.

"Okay," Wendy pouted before grabbing the gauze from Erza. "At least let me do this for you." She grinned as she was able to take care of Natsu, he was her brother-figure. Erza and Juvia smiled at the two dragon slayers before piling various ingredients onto the table.

"Thank you," he said before standing up, pulling off his black vest and favorite scarf. Placing them to the side, he tied an apron around his waist and neck before grabbing a mixer and a bowl. "Now, I've got an order for a plain cheesecake for the block-head, a cherry cheesecake, a strawberry cheesecake, and a…?" he paused, looking to Wendy.

"Blueberry, please!" she cheered. Erza then looked at him strangely.

"Cherry?" she questioned.

"What? You think I'm gunna make you guys something without getting something in return?" he muttered, earning laughs from all the girls present.

"I don't think that cheesecake is for you, though," Erza added with a sly grin. "You and I both know that cherry cheesecake is Lucy's favorite."

"It's an apology for skipping out on taking her to the market," he admitted, shyly.

"Such an adorable softie," the red-head teased.

"Alright, alright, let's get this started," He said as he pumped a fist into the air.

"We're all fired up!" The girls chimed in as they mimicked his motion.

~~WJ~~

Lucy laid in her bed and stared at the ceiling. She let her thoughts cloud her mind. 'Since when did Natsu and Juvia get so close? And why was he going to the girls' dorm?' she tortured herself with her thoughts. 'Did he even think about me while he was gone?' she turned to her side as a tear trekked down her cheek. 'How come he didn't come find me when he got back?' she asked herself as she closed her eyes. She was about to surrender to sleep when a small voice called her name.

"Lucy?" Happy whispered. "Can I sleep with you?" he asked. Lucy turned towards him and opened her arms. The small cat flew into her embrace and burred him self in her scent. Shortly after, he was purring. Lucy smiled as she hugged the cat close and allowed unconsciousness to take over.


	7. The Next Day

Okay, so this chapter might be a little rough, so just bear with me! Please don't hate me! I love Gray, I really do, but I needed someone to play the jealous/ incredibly upset character. I am definitely not Gray bashing! Gray is simply hurt and doesn't know how to express it.

I also want to clarify that Juvia does not have a crush on Natsu; she hasn't hung out with Natsu alone, so I wanted to let her experience contrasts between Natsu and Gray. I wanted her to come off as slightly shy. In this story, she hasn't seen anyone but Gray shirtless or in the nude, lol.

Anywayssssss, you guys are amazing. Thank you for continuing to read my story! I also apologize if I made any grammatical mistakes. PS I own NOTHING.

The Next Morning

The night in the Fairy Tail's Girl's dorms consisted of hours of baking, laughing, and teasing from the elder two girls. As the night ended, Natsu helped the three girls situate each of their cheesecakes in the tiny fridge. The dragon slayer pulled on his vest and scarf, gathering the cake into his hands, and checking his pocket for the item he purchased as he headed to the front door. As he turned to leave the doors, Natsu watched Erza, Wendy, and Juvia retreat back to their homes. Natsu made his way to the guild to let Mira and Gramps know that they had made it back safely.

The dragon slayer then returned to his home. He stopped at the front door and pushed it open quietly, looking around for his small friend. Assuming he was at Lucy's home, he smiled since this gave him another excuse to go visit. Picking himself up once more, Natsu turned to leave his home and walk to Lucy's apartment. He climbed upwards as he headed for her window, careful not to drop or damage the treat he carried.

Natsu carefully made his way into the dimly lit room, cherry cheese cake in hand. He quietly closed the window before tip-toing passed Lucy's bedroom. The dragon slayer came to her fridge and opened it, sliding the cake into an open spot on cold shelf. He closed the door and nearly shrieked at the sight before him.

"Natsu!" the small cat whispered before flying into the pink-haired mage's chest. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, buddy," Natsu comforted. "I didn't mean to wake you up. I was about to come check on you guys."

"It's okay. Lucy is still asleep," he added.

"I'm gunna go check on her really quick, okay?" Natsu spoke. Happy nodded and waited for him beside the window.

Natsu tip-toed into Lucy's bedroom. He smiled down at her as she reached around for the small warmth Happy had offered, frowning when she couldn't find it. The dragon slayer smiled before he reached for a small pillow and nudged it towards her, heating it slightly with his hands. She smiled into the pillow in her sleep. She cuddled close to the familiar warmth, burying her nose in the scent of her teammate.

"Nng…" she moaned. "Natsu…" Natsu visibly blushed and covered his mouth with his hand. Recovering, he smiled as he leaned down and pushed away some of the blonde hair from her face before he planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I'm home, Luce," he whispered as he gently ran his fingers through her soft blonde locks. "I will see you at the guild, tomorrow." He whispered as he tip-toed out of the room, content with his visit.

"You ready to head home?" the fire-breather asked.

"Let's go! I'll fly!" Happy said as he flew to the window and carefully opened it.

Natsu quickly and quietly jumped out of the opening and waited for his blue friend to catch him outside. They headed for their home in the isolated wooded area. The pink-haired mage opened the door as the duo tumbled inside. They made their way to the hammock in the corner of the room and laid down, the small cat at Natsu's side. The slayer removed the locket from his vest pocket as he pulled the dirty material off.

He smiled as he opened the box, looking down at the trinket. He stared at it, watching his flames dance around inside it. He cupped the small locket on his fingertips, it felt warm. _'Hopefully she will like it,' _he chuckled nervously before closing the box. He placed it on the window pane next to him, glancing to the wall that had various items from his and Lucy's adventures. His eyes clouded over as memories flooded through his mind.

Startled by a sudden noise, he soon realized his best friend had turned closer to him and began snoring. Stifling a laugh, Natsu rested a hand on top of Happy and closed his eyes. He was nervous for tomorrow, he always was afraid of being bad at giving gifts._ 'It should be alright, right? I mean, Juvia even liked it.' _He reassured himself.

~~WJ~~

Morning came too quickly for the dragon slayer as the sun shined through his window. Natsu rubbed his eyes as he slowly sat up from this spot on the hammock. He looked down and noticed his fury friend had disappeared. The smell of bacon and eggs lulled him from his spot and into the kitchen. He sat down at the table as Happy flew to him and placed a plate of food in front of him.

"Thanks, Happy," Natsu smiled before clasping his hands together. "Itadakimasu!"

"How was your mission with Juvia?" Happy asked.

"It went better than I thought it would. The village was really nice. Th villa was small, but the hot springs felt great. They even gave us extra food for our travel back," Natsu said in between bites. "Oh! We even did a unison raid!"

"You and Juvia?!" Happy asked. "Is that even possible?"

"I don't know," Natsu answered as he finished off his plate. "When we did it, my flames and her water merged and formed a really hot torpedo of purple water. You could see purple flames flying off of it. It was so cool!"

"Woah!" Happy replied.

"Yeah. Not only that, but Juvia found a potion that got rid of my motion sickness!" Natsu said as he piled his and Happy's plates into the sink. "It tasted awful, but it worked."

"Really? I didn't know Juvia could be so cool!" Happy chimed.

"She said she wanted to go on more missions with our team, so I told her she could," Natsu smiled.

"You know, I wonder what a unison raid between you and Lucy would look like," Happy wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but I hope we get to try it one day," he smiled brightly. "I'm going to go take a shower and then we can head to the guild. Sound good?"

"Aye!" Happy answered.

~~WJ~~

Lucy groaned as she rolled onto her back. She pushed herself into a sitting position before reaching her arms above her head and stretching. She looked to her side and noticed Happy was gone, and a pillow was now in his place. Shrugging her shoulders, the blonde mage crawled out of bed and made her way into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and rummaged through the shelves before she spotted the fresh, new, cheery cheese cake sitting on the bottom shelf. Smiling, she lifted it up and placed it on the table, shutting the fridge door.

The celestial mage felt a sudden draft and noticed her window was open, her curtains were swaying in the gentle breeze. She walked up to it and closed it before returning to her favorite dessert. She cut herself a small piece, finally admitting to herself that it was definitely from the fire dragon slayer. She smiled at the thought of him visiting her at night.

'_He didn't forget about me'_

Lucy jovially ate the last of her slice of cake before returning to her room and getting dressed. She pulled her black and pink outfit from her closet and quickly changed into it. Pulling her hair into a high ponytail, she checked herself over before exiting her home and heading for the guild.

~~WJ~~

Natsu emerged from the shower with a towel draped around his neck. The bandages that were previously on his arm had been discarded. The bruised had disappeared, but the gash had faded into a dark scar down the middle of his forearm. He would have to remember to thank Wendy again later. Natsu turned to his closed and reached for his normal attire, suddenly stopping. 'Should I wear something different?' he thought. Shaking his head, he grabbed one of his normal outfits and pulled it on. As he pulled on his wrist band, Happy burst into the room with his hands behind his back.

"What's up?" Natsu asked as he wrapped his scarf around his neck.

"Oh, nothing," Happy grinned mischievously, "I just found this," he said as he brought his hands forward, revealing the open box containing the necklace. Natsu immediately blushed before turning his head and mumbling something. "What was that?" Happy asked.

"Do you think she will like it?" he asked, turning his head back towards the blue cat.

"She definitely will," Happy assured as he flew over and placed the box in Natsu's pocket. "Don't you remember that this necklace, among other pieces of jewelry, was something she pointed out in that magazine?"

"Nope," Natsu answered honestly.

"You're hopeless, Natsu," Happy signed as he rubbed his small head.

"Ready to go?" Natsu asked.

"Aye sir!" Happy said as he sat on Natsu's shoulder and pointed a fisted paw into the air. Natsu dashed out of his home with Happy's tail wrapped securely around his neck. Fairy Tail, here they come.

~~WJ~~

To say that Gray was furious was an understatement. He was already upset from following Natsu and Juvia the night before, but the newspaper he found on his doorstep this morning was the icing on the cake. He had never felt so betrayed. Natsu was like a brother to him, so the ice-make mage didn't understand why the dragon slayer did it. Gray looked down at the paper once more before crushing it in his hand, the grim look on his face didn't suit him at all. Neither did the steady flow of tears. He chugged the last bit of his third bottle of beer that morning before he left for the guild, clutching the paper in his hand.

The paper read as follows:

_"__Hidden lovers?!"_ followed by a picture of Juvia pressed closely against Natsu. Her hands were on his chest as she blushed, looking up to him as he looked down at her with concern. _"A stroll in the market turned into something more as the seemingly close friends of Fairy Tail share a special, tender moment."_

(I'm not implying that Gray is a drunk! In this instance, he is simply hurt and decided to drink a bit to calm himself down. Also, I'm sorry if the characters seem a bit OC. Thanks for reading!)


	8. Misunderstanding

Hey, Guys! Don't be maaaad! Here is the next chapter of Warm Jealousy. A bit of a rough chappie. Gray feels betrayed and hurt. Lucy is emotional and vulnerable since she hasn't seen Natsu in a few days, Gray's hurt rubs off on her. Characters may be a little OC. Once again, no character bashing. I LOVE FAIRYTAIL! Thank you, guys, for continuing to read my story! It means so much to me! Comments are appreciated! As a reminder, I own NOTHING.

Misunderstanding

Lucy walked to the guild hall with a skip in her step. She pushed open the doors and held them open for a few other fellow guildmates. Cheery and bright, the blonde-haired mage carried her cheeky smile all the way to the guild's counter where she greeted Mira.

"Good morning, Mira!"

"Good morning, Lucy. Looking for a new job to go on?" the take-over mage asked as she continued to polish some beer glasses.

"No, I wanted to order some food for Natsu for when he gets here," she answered.

"How sweet of you," Mira winked as she sat the glass onto the rack. "Anything in particular you would like to order?" she asked.

"Surprise me," Lucy chuckled. She waved to Mira as the takeover mage walked to the kitchen.

"I've got a surprise for ya," Gray spoke monotone as he lifted his head from their table. His eyes were shallow and dull. The crumped paper laid in his lap.

"Good morning, Gray," Lucy smiled as she sat at the table. "You feeling okay?"

"Not in particularly," he answered.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. The ice mage looked at her for a moment before he closed his eyes and sighed.

"Not here, follow me," Gray mumbled as he led her to the corner of the guild, hidden from their guildmates, but it wasn't so hidden from the window in the top corner across the hall.

"What's up, Gray?" Lucy asked, concerned. He shoved the newspaper into her hands.

"They're together," Gray huffed, crossing his arms and looking to the side.

"Gray, don't be silly, they're not-"

"Just look at them!" he exclaimed, flailing his arms. "You don't hold somebody you don't care about like that!" he growled.

Lucy looked down at the paper, eyeing the small details in the picture. Her eyes trailed down to Natsu's arm that was safely cradling Juvia close to him. The blonde mage saw the jewelry stand behind the couple. The one she had asked Natsu to take her to. She saw how his kind eyes staring down at the water mage. How closely she was pressed against him with a slight blush on her face. Her hands placed on his-

"This doesn't prove anything," Lucy denied as she stopped herself and handed him the paper back. Unease flooded her features as she rubbed up and down on her arms.

"Lucy, think about it. They went to his place and her place. Erza let him stay at the girl's dorms for crying out loud! They spent time alone together on a trip that included private hot springs. They didn't even ask us to come. And now this," He pointed to the paper, "just proves it."

"That's not true. Natsu wouldn't do that. He knows that Juvia likes you a-and that I…" Lucy was shaking slightly as all of these thoughts clouded her mind. A silent tear trailed down her cheek before Gray pulled her into an embrace.

"I'm sorry for being so aggressive," he admitted before cupping her chin, bringing her gaze toward him, "I'm just as hurt as you are."

"B-but Gray," she stuttered, pushing away from his touch, "we don't know if any of it is even true."

"It is, Lucy. Just face it," he signed, leaning his forehead against hers. "You know, maybe we should…just…heal together…"

"What do you-"

Lucy was cut off from speaking when a pair of cold lips pressed against hers. Shock overwhelmed her with her eyes shot open. She pushed against his shoulders slightly before she found herself kissing him back, her eye lids fluttering shut for a moment before they released each other.

~~WJ~~

(A few minutes earlier.)

Natsu had just began to climb though the window with Happy on his shoulder. Sitting slightly, they looked around for the celestial mage. Happy noticed her and Gray in the corner of the guild.

"They could be having a private conversation, Natsu, let's not be rude," Happy added.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he smiled as he felt in his pocket for the box.

The dragon slayer's eyes watched carefully as Gray suddenly held the destressed Lucy close to his chest. Happy glanced from Natsu's confused glance to the couple in the corner. Natsu felt his breath leave him when he saw Gray press his lips to Lucy's. He didn't realize the small tear that trailed down his cheek when he saw her kiss him back. Natsu turned from the window and jumped to the ground outside the guild hall, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Lucy, I-" Gray didn't know what to say, he merely glanced away from her.

Lucy said nothing as she wiped her lips and headed for their table. The food she ordered for Natsu sat, brilliant red flames danced across it. She sat down beside the plate and placed her head on her arms. Gray followed behind her and sat across from her. He stuffed the paper into his pocket and folded his arms on the table. Lucy wouldn't meet his gaze. No one was aware of what happened between the two mages, except for Natsu and Happy.

"Natsu, I didn't know," Happy admitted as he wrapped around Natsu outside of the guildhall.

"It's alright, buddy," Natsu smiled, but Happy could see and feel the force behind it.

"What are you going to do now?" Happy asked.

"I'm going to go see Gramps," Natsu sighed as he reached the doors of the hall. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "Maybe he can give me longer mission to go on."

"Do you want me to come with you?" the blue cat asked.

"That's up to you, buddy," the dragon slayer replied.

"I'll always have your back, Natsu," Happy smiled as he curled into Natsu's chest. The pink-haired mage hugged his best friend close to him before he turned towards the double doors.

Natsu quietly pushed open the double doors, hoping to not draw too much attention to himself. Once the doors closed and he thought he was in the clear, the dragon slayer was loudly greeted by the cheers of his guildmates.

"Natsu! We were wondering when you were going to get back!" Elfman shouted as he walked towards Natsu and slapped his back. Lisanna was next to join him.

"I heard that you and Juvia took out five of those little dragons on your own!" she added.

"We heard you did your first unison raid," the members of the thunder legion spoke.

"I heard your arm got crushed by a puny dragon," Cana cackled as she took a long swallow from her barrel.

Natsu looked around the hall and smiled at all the people who came to welcome him back. He noticed that Wendy, Erza, and Juvia hadn't arrived yet. The dragon slayer then looked in the direction of the table he normally sat at. A big bowl of food sat beside Lucy who looked at him with her big brown eyes. She smiled as she waved at him. Natsu felt his heart clench in his chest. Putting his hand over the ache, he forced his eyes closed as he smiled back at her.

"Excuse me guys, but I need to go talk to Gramps," Natsu waved everyone away.

Happy noticed how Natsu's smile never met his eyes. The small cat looked towards Lucy and Gray before looking at Natsu once more. He told Natsu that he would wait for him in the hall while he talked to Gramps. As Natsu headed for the office, Happy flew over to their table and landed on the opposite end of the two.

"Where is Natsu going?" Lucy asked.

"Gramps wanted to talk to him about a mission," Happy answered as he pulled a fish from his pack and began nibbling on it uncomfortably.

"He and Juvia just got back," Gray stated, turning towards the Happy. "Shouldn't flame brain want to rest?"

"Should we go with him?" Lucy asked. Happy shook his head in reply.

"This is just something for Natsu," he added. The small cat shifted at the tension he felt lingering. Once Wendy and Carla entered the guild, Happy jovially flew away and sat beside the white cat.

~~WJ~~

"What's wrong, my boy?" Gramps asked as Natsu entered his office.

"Its kind of personal, hard to explain," Natsu admitted, eyes trailing the ground. When the master didn't speak again, he knew he had to say something else. "I've never felt like this before." Natsu whispered.

"I see," the old man muttered, examining the dragon slayer. "What do you need?"

"Could you assign me a job?" he asked, looking up. "I don't want a small mission, but not a crazy hard one either. I just need to get away for a while."

"Hm," the old man furrowed his brows. He didn't want to push the mage. "Very well," Makarov replied as he reached into his desk and pulled out a flier. "This is a small island called Tortuga Verde. It has had a problem with mutant turtles for a while. I would recommend you bring a team if you want to finish faster, but if you want to go alone, I believe you would manage. You could finish it in a few months."

"Thanks Gramps," Natsu said as he reached for the flyer. He stopped when his master hadn't let go.

"Now, my boy. If this mission is too much for you alone, you best leave that island. I want weekly reports from you. Understand?" he demanded.

"Yes sir, I understand," Natsu smiled as he was given the flyer.

"Don't worry about checking in with Mira, I will let her know," Makarov crossed his arms.

"Thanks again," Natsu smiled sadly before exiting the office.

~~WJ~~

When Natsu returned from Gramps office, he had to stop himself and remember to breath before seeing his teammates. After a few deep breaths, he had calmed himself enough to visit his table. Coming around the corner, he saw Lucy and Gray sitting across from each other, resting their heads on their arms. He walked over and held the flyer to his side.

"Hey guys," Natsu said, getting their attention. "Gramps gave me a solo mission, so I'm about to be leaving."

"Where are you going?" Lucy asked as she stood.

"Tortuga Verde," he answered, "it's a small island I think." He added before he looked over the other mage's attire. "I like your outfit, Luce." He smiled.

"T-thank you," she smiled.

"Anyways, I'll be gone for a while on this one. Happy is coming with me, so I will see you guys later," Natsu waved as he turned to leave. Suddenly and quickly, Lucy wrapped her arms around Natsu from behind.

"Be safe," she whispered as he released him. Natsu nodded before he began to walk to the door, and he exited with Happy on his shoulder.

Natsu ran outside and plopped onto the ground beside a nearby bench. He buried his face in his hands with a groan. He didn't want to leave since he had just returned. He placed his hand on his chest again. The ache had returned tenfold. He didn't think his heart could take seeing Lucy and Gray together like that. He needed to get away. He needed to be alone. He wanted-

"Na-kun?" Juvia asked. She and Erza were walking to the guild together. Juvia wore a blue tank top and black sorts while Erza wore a white crop top and tan shorts.

"What's the matter, Natsu?" Erza asked.

"Nothing," he smiled as he stood. He reached into his pockets. "I'm about to go pack for a mission. I'm going to be gone for a while." He admitted. Fishing the box from his pocket, he handed it to Juvia.

"You didn't give it to Lu-chan, yet?" she asked, he shook his head.

"Take care of it for me, will ya?" he asked as he placed it in her hands. She looked into his pleading eyes before she nodded.

"Be safe, Natsu," Erza told him as she gazed past his happy façade. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call us." She placed a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks, guys," He said as he turned to head towards his home. "I'll see you later," he whispered. Happy came from behind him and picked up the dragon slayer, taking him into the skies to hide his silent tears.


	9. Confrontation

Hello my lovelies! I'm so so very sorry for the wait! I had a business trip to go on this weekend and exams to study for. I hope you didn't mind the delay!

Okay guys, I know some of you are upset with the last chapter, but it will get better! Thank you for continuing to read so far! Your comments are so encouraging! Let me know if you enjoy it! Also, as I have mentioned, I OWN NOTHING! (:

Confrontation

Erza and Juvia walked towards the doors of the guild hall. Juvia quickly tucked the small box safely into her pocket with nothing more than a questioning glance from the reequip mage. Juvia and Erza parted ways once they were inside the hall. The red-head walked towards the bar and began to speak with Mira and Laxus. The blue-haired, water mage had a bag on her side that held the cold dessert she and the rest of the group made the night prior. She looked around and dashed to Gray's side immediately hugging his arm.

"Good morning! Did Gray-sama miss Juvia while she was gone?" She asked cheerfully.

"Sure," he answered, monotone. Juvia discarded his answer because she knew that he wasn't a morning person. She reached into her bag and began to pull out the cake. "Look, Gray-sama, Juvia and Na-kun-"

"I already know, dammit!" he shouted as he slammed his fists onto the table, capturing the entire hall's attention as the table slowly began to be covered in ice. The hall's temperature dropped significantly as various guild members began to shiver.

"Gray, calm down," Lucy ushered.

"Gray-sama knows? What does Gray-sama mean?" she asked as she sat her bag onto the table, cake still hidden inside.

"Yes. I KNOW about you and your precious Na-kun," he mimicked as he glared at her. "I read all about it."

"What do you mean? Juvia doesn't understand," she asked calmly, reaching for his arm.

"That you and Natsu are together," he bit as she pushed her hands away. "You two went to such great lengths to hide it. It all makes sense now, though." He muttered bitterly, facing the table.

"Gray-sama," Juvia began to sob. "What is Gray-sama talking about?"

"Gray!" Lucy shouted. "Give her a chance to-"

"Don't play dumb," he growled as he shoved the paper into the water mage's hands. Juvia looked down at the picture as tears of confusion trickled down her face.

"Juvia and Na-kun didn't do anything wrong!" she shouted at him.

"Why don't you just follow him everywhere he goes now, huh?! How about you call him Natsu-sama?" he barked. "I don't understand you, Juvia. How could you do this?" he asked as he turned to face her, water pooled under his eyes. "You even invited him over to your dorm last night. I've never gotten to come to your room!"

"Gray-sama, that's not-"

"Shut up!" he cried. "I don't want to hear-" he was cut off by a sudden fist driving into his head, sending him to the ground with a loud thud. "What the HELL?" he asked through grit teeth, turning to face the person who did it. Erza stood over him, veins protruding from her forehead while her eyes were shaded over.

"You are an IDIOT!" She said as she yanked him from the ground by his collar. "If you would give Juvia or anyone else a chance to talk, you would know that Natsu came to our dorms last night to help Juvia bake you a damn cheesecake!" she shouted as she pulled Juvia's bag on the table. "Everyone knows that Natsu is an amazing cook and baker, so he stayed longer to bake cakes for me, you, Wendy, and Lucy." She told him as she shoved him into a sitting position. "And that picture you saw in the paper that you're frustrated about was an accident, right, Juvia?" she asked.

"Yes, Erza-chan," Juvia nodded, wiping her eyes. "After the mission, Na-kun asked Juvia to help him pick out a necklace for Lu-chan," she answered as she pulled the box from her pocket. "When we finished, somebody bumped into Juvia and Natsu-kun caught me. That's all that happened, Juvia swears," she cried as she shut her eyes tightly, standing behind Erza.

An overwhelming silence flooded their table. Gray stared at the ground, eyes wide from the new information he was given. He slowly looked up to Juvia's trembling form. Erza stood protectively in front of her. He hadn't meant to make her cry like this. That was the last thing he wanted. He hadn't meant to let his insecurities about abandonment lead him to this. Gray had never felt like such an idiot. He just didn't want to think about loosing Juvia.

Lucy's confusion left her quickly, regret taking its place. She quickly, subconsciously wiped at her lips once more. She glanced towards the food sitting beside her that was no longer ablaze. Then she began to wonder why Natsu had acted so weird earlier. She looked to the water mage's trembling hand.

"Why do you have the necklace?" Lucy asked quietly, interrupting the silence.

"He was going to give it to you today. He asked me to hold onto it for him after he left the hall, but he didn't say why," Juvia answered as she turned to the blonde mage.

"I can answer that," Carla said as she trotted over to the table, followed by the sky dragon slayer. "Happy had told me that he and Natsu saw…the intimate moment you two shared." She explained with a slight blush as she glanced towards Gray and Lucy. An audible gasp filled the room. Lucy covered her mouth as he eyes grew wide. Gray banged his head on the table with a grunt.

"Dammit, I'm so stupid," he half shouted. He turned so that his body faced Juvia, but he hung his head. "I am so sorry." He admitted. "I shouldn't have just made assumptions. I should have asked you…I'm sorry Juvia," he apologized. "I'm sorry to you to Lucy, for putting ideas in your head. I didn't mean for any of this to happen… I screwed up…" he whimpered.

Juvia looked at him with a sad smile on her face. She stepped forward, past Erza, and pushed the cheesecake towards Gray. Upon hearing the sound, Gray lifted his head to face her. She put a gentle hand on his cheek wiping away a stray tear.

"Juvia won't lie and say that she isn't hurt that you and Lucy kissed or that you yelled at Juvia," she admitted. "but I do understand why you did it. Even if it was undeniably stupid on your part. You should know me better than that." Gray stared up at her, his lip quivered before he leaned forward and embraced the water mage. She chuckled as she held his trembling form against her chest, his head rested below her chin as she listened to his muffled apologizes.

"Juvia forgives you," she paused. "Gray-kun," she smirked as Gray's head shot up. There was a very shocked expression on the ice-mage's face.

"Gray-kun?" he asked. "Wait! That's not- you can't- don't- Juvia!" he whined, panicking he grabbed her wrists carefully and looked up to her pleadingly. Juvia couldn't contain her laughter any longer and threw her arms around the ice-mage.

"Juvia was only kidding!" she laughed. Gray grimaced with a pink hue on his cheeks as he hugged her back. "Even though Juvia thinks Jealous Gray-sama is both adorable and slightly scary in a protectively sweet way, Gray-sama should know that Juvia only has eyes for him," she said as she leaned her forehead against his, closing her eyes and pressing a gentle hand to the back of his head. Gray smiled before he quickly swooped in and stole a kiss, flustering the water-mage.

"Gray-sama!"

"I'm not sorry," he shrugged.

"Gray-sama can't just do that! Juvia is still mad at him!" She complained with red gracing her cheeks. Gray chuckled as Erza sighed.

"Hey, uh," Lucy started. "I hate to interrupt this moment, but can I see the necklace? Curiosity is driving me crazy, here." she admitted. Juvia nodded as she released Gray and came to Lucy's side. She opened the box, revealing the fire-filled crystal on a golden chain.

"Na-kun's magic is inside this crystal," Juvia explained as Lucy picked the necklace out of the box. She placed the crystal on her chest as she clasped the lock behind her neck. Cupping the fiery gem in her hand, she smiled.

"Its warm," she commented. _Like him._

"You can use it as a tracking lacrima as well," Juvia added. "You just have to say 'Find Natsu' and it will lead you right to him."

"That's actually pretty cool," Gray admitted.

"Natsu-kun picked it out," the water mage informed. Lucy smiled down at the necklace before panic flooded her eyes.

"Guys? Natsu thinks Gray and I like each other, is that why he left?" Lucy asked as she looked up to the group.

"It's finally starting to make sense," Makarov said as he wondered into the dining area.

"Master?" they asked.

"He didn't tell me anything. Probably because he didn't understand. He said he hadn't felt that way before, but now it makes sense. My, the poor boy was heartbroken," he smiled sadly as he glanced to the group at the table. "So, children, what will you do now?"

"I'm going to find him!" Lucy and Gray stood and spoke at the same time as they looked towards their master.

"Juvia will come, to," the water mage added, grabbing Gray's arm.

"Somebody has to keep you guys in line," Erza added, placing a hand on her hip.

"We will accompany you as well," Carla spoke as she jumped into Wendy's arms.

"Where did you send him to again?" Lucy asked.

"The small island of Tortuga Verde. Its about 20 miles east out from the ports of Hargeon. Natsu hasn't been gone longer than two hours, so if you leave soon, you may have time to join the fun," he chuckled.

"What is on that island?" Erza asked.

"Mutant turtles," Gramps told them, "they each fight with the elements. Fire, wind, water, and earth."

"That sounds like fun, right Carla?" Wendy asked.

"Well, it sounds like we are heading for Tortuga Verde," Gray smirked, pulling Juvia close to his side. The rest of the group nodded to one another before looking towards Makarov.

"I'm fired up!" Lucy smiled.

"You're hopelessly in love," Carla chortled as she crossed her arms. The celestial mage merely smiled at the accusation. The entire guild erupted with laugher at the group. Lucy and Erza led the way followed by Gray, Juvia, Wendy, and Carla as they made their way from their guild hall to the nearest ports, hoping to find a boat that would take them to the island to find their beloved fire dragon slayer.

~~WJ~~

"Easy job my ass!" Natsu mumbled as he dodged a kick and a fist at the same time. Three giant turtles surrounded him at once. Each of their shells were a different color. They each stood on their back legs at about five feet tall. Once of the turtles with a silver shell opened its mouth and released a powerful gust of wind at the same time as a blue-shelled turtle was advancing towards the dragon slayer. Jumping into the trees, Happy caught Natsu and flew them into the air.

"How many have you beat so far, Natsu?" the cat asked.

"I lost count after 50, and they just keep coming," the dragon slayer panted. "Gramps didn't tell me that these mutants could fight."

"You would have known that if you had read the flyer," Happy rolled his eyes.

"There's a volcano that way, I hope there's some fire over there, too," Natsu spoke. "Can you take me that way, buddy?"

"Aye sir!" The cat cheered as they were off, dodging various attacks of fire, wind, water, and rock.


	10. Gathering Intel

Hey guys! Since I took so long to post the last chapter, I decided to update sooner!

So, I feel like I should explain some thing, in my vision of Juvia, I see her as a very forgiving person (i.e. the episode she gave Gray a scarf).

I'm sorry if the last chapter disappointed any of you! Thank you for continuing to read this far. Your reviews and favorites are greatly appreciated! Yours- SmItTy

Gathering Intel

Natsu stood with his back against a nearly erupting volcano. He stayed alert, watching the area as he began to consume fire that surrounded the hot rock. The rumbling from the volcano ceased as the heat was guzzled into Natsu's belly. His black vest had been torn and burned to shreds. He lost one of his shoes, but his scarf remained safely around his neck. He stripped himself of the remainder of his vest and last shoe before tying his scarf around his head.

Happy had taken Natsu's pack and fled to a high, isolated cave, promising to return quickly as soon as he found them a shelter. After eating his fill, the dragon slayer wiped his mouth as he turned to face on coming enemies. Natsu sniffed the air.

"Something is off," he spoke aloud. He looked around and saw five of the turtles coming towards him. He knew they weren't normal turtles, so they wouldn't smell like them. But this island had an unnatural, lingering smell. "Vanilla?" he asked aloud. Suddenly, a fist came flying at him. Two green-shelled turtles charged at him, their fists encased in rock. He met their attack with his own fiery fist, "No," shattering the rocks and sending the two cowering away. "Its more like honey," Natsu corrected himself. He glanced to the sky and saw a strange, pint hue surrounding the island. "A poison?"

Natsu dashed to a near by river and drank some of the water. Confirming his suspicions, there was some kind of toxin driving the turtles wild. Clearly, it didn't affect humans since the village people were fine. It must have only been in the water. He looked around at the other animals and seen that they were normal.

"A toxin that only affects turtles?" he asked.

"Natsu!" Happy yelled as he flew down.

"Happy, are their other humans on this island?" Natsu asked.

"No, they evacuated when their village was attacked by the turtles," Happy told him. "You should have read the flyer." Natsu groaned before looking up to his friend.

"You need to stay away from that cloud, buddy. Don't drink the water either, only what we brought," Natsu told him, pointing above them. The blue cat looked up then back to his comrade.

"Why? No way am I leaving you down here alone!" he retorted.

"I don't know how this toxin will affect you, and I would prefer not to find out. Please, Happy?" the dragon slayer asked.

"Okay, but if you need me, I'm coming back," he muttered, hugging his best friend. "Be careful," he added. Natsu nodded as he watched his friend retreat to the skies. The slayer cracked his knuckles as a new determined smile formed on his face.

"I'm all fired up, give me your worst, you stupid turtles!" He bellowed.

~~WJ~~

On the far side of the island, opposite of Natsu, a small mountain began to tremble. Slowly, a large blossom protruded from the hill-top. The rosy petals opened and a beautiful, slender, green man with bright, hot-pink, medium-length hair stretched his lean arms. He was lightly clothed in leaves and vines. He opened his sharp, bright, blue eyes and smirked lightly, small fangs poking from his lips.

"So, someone has come to stop my army, have they?" he asked aloud in a smooth, sly voice with a slight chuckle. "No matter," He said as he turned and stepped off of his flower, his bare feet leaving foot prints of fresh soil in their path. New pink flowers grew from each step. "He won't make it past my minions," He sighed.

The man's name is Amai Doku, known as the god of poison and plant manipulation. He had lived for many years, feasting off of the soils buried deep in the mineral rich areas of the earth. Evil as he may be, no man or woman has the power to resist his infectious, arousing scent, not to mention his almost-divine, beautiful body. No one has ever been able to escape the strength of her poisons either.

Amai walked until he reached a large, blue pool of water and slowly stepped into it. Sinking to his waist in the cool lagoon, he sighed and began to emit a pink mist from his hair. The mist floated downward and polluted the water, disappearing into it.

Snapping his fingers, two turtles with red shells ran to him. They breathed fire into the water, heating it until he was satisfied. Amai sighed, opening his bright eyes and looking forward. He swam closer to the turtles. Once he reached the shore, he petted their chins as they rested on the ground in front of him. He floated in the water, resting his arms on the water's edge. The two turtles relished in their master's touch.

"Bring him to me, the intruder," Amai spoke sweetly, "Do not stop until he is within in my grasp. Understand, my pets?" he commanded. The two turtles nodded and sprinted away, letting the others know of their new orders. Amai closed his eyes and sunk into the water, bubbles floating from his mouth. "This should be fun," he spoke from the water's depths. "It's been a while since I've felt the touch of a human."

~~WJ~~

Natsu jumped into the trees and surveyed the ground below, watching the turtles communicate in their own language. They seemed to be under some kind of control. The dragon slayer concluded that the toxin had something to do with it. Rather than fighting all of the turtles, he decided to find the source. Taking a sniff of the air around him, he focused on the direction the toxin smelled most potent. As he turned to jump for the next tree, he was knocked from the sky by a water attack.

"Hey!" Natsu shouted as he rubbed his back. "what'd you do that for?" he asked. Turtles surrounded him of all colors. One of them wearing a red shell stood.

"Take you to leader," it muttered.

"Your leader?" Natsu asked.

"You come." It repeated. "we make you."

"I will come peacefully," Natsu replied, holding his hands up in surrender. Suddenly, rocks and water came flying at him, wrapping his body in a cocoon of mud. One of the fire turtles breathed fire and hardened the shell and Natsu fell to the ground with an 'oof.' "I said I would come with you!" Natsu shouted. His head was the only thing uncovered. He attempted a fire dragon roar, but the shell restricted his breathing.

The standing turtle picked Natsu up from the ground and tucked him roughly under his arm. Natsu rolled his eyes and attempted to move inside the rock. The turtles all turned in sync and headed for the back part of the island, returning to their master.

~~WJ~~

Lucy, Erza, Gray, and Juvia were on a small boat heading to Tortuga Verde. Wendy and Carla were above them to avoid Wendy's motion sickness being activated.

"Wendy, do you see the island?" Lucy asked as she looked above.

"Its not that far from us," the sky-dragon slayer answered. "There is some kind of pink cloud above it."

"What do you guys think it means?" Juvia asked.

"I don't know, but I am getting major flash backs to Galuna island," Gray admitted.

"Be on guard, everyone," Erza commanded, earning a nod from the group.

"Wen-chan, could you come get in the boat for a second? Juvia could get us there quickly," the water mage asked. Wendy nodded as she and Carla sank into the boat. All of the mages held on tight as Juvia got closer to the back of the boat. With a shout, she pushed against the waves and the boat flew through the water.

"We're closing in," Gray shouted.

"Right," Juvia nodded as she slowed the water beneath them as they arrived to the shore.

"Wendy, you and Carla get some surveillance from above and let us know if you see Natsu," Erza asked.

"We will!" The two nodded as they took to the sky. Not a moment before they were to pass through the pink cloud, Happy pushed them back down, away from it.

"Happy?" Wendy asked. "Why aren't you with Natsu?"

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"Happy?" Lucy asked from the ground. The group flew back down to the ground and regrouped, close to the shore.

"Where's Natsu?" Gray asked.

"He'd been fighting the turtles for a while. They're not that strong, but they have numbers. I took him to the volcano and somehow he figured out that there is a toxin here," the cat informed.

"A toxin?" Erza asked.

"Its in the water. He said the humans that were here had been unaffected by it, but it's been affecting the turtles," he answered.

"I see," Carla replied.

"Lucy, you're wearing the necklace?" Happy asked. "I suppose you guys worked things out, huh?" he asked as he looked to her and Gray. Lucy walked forward and hugged Happy lightly.

"We came to help, but also to apologize. We know we hurt Natsu's feelings," She admitted as she released him.

"Someone made some assumptions and got all upset," Juvia chuckled. "Isn't that right, Gray-kun?" she teased. Gray visibly tensed and walked towards the water mage.

"Juviaaaaaaaaa!" he groaned. The others laughed. "I'm sorry about that, Happy…"

"I hope you both know that you really hurt his feelings," Happy said seriously. "I am disappointed in you both. Lucy, you know how Natsu feels about you, it's not like he tries to hide it. How could you kiss Gray back like that?" he asked. "And Gray, you are Natsu's best friend, aside from me, of course. You should know that jumping into things without all of the knowledge is a bad idea. That is what you tell Natsu before he jumps into a fight, or are you a hypocrite?" Happy asked, a smirk on his face.

There was an audible gasp as the group coward slightly. Even Erza flinched at the sight of angry Happy, whilst Carla blushed and looked away from the steaming tom cat. Wendy was the first to speak, breaking the tension.

"Gray and Lucy both owe Natsu an apology," she started. "but they can't do that unless we know where he is. Can you tell us?" the sky dragon slayer asked sweetly. Happy turned to her and nodded, his paws resting on his hips.

"Natsu told me to stay away from the water and the cloud that's above the island, but I think I'm fine. I stayed closer to the ground, and I saw him get taken by the turtles. He was going to go with them peacefully, but they took him captive. They're taking him to their master," Happy told them sadly. "I lost them in the trees and couldn't find them again, and that's when I saw Wendy and Carla."

"We'll find him," Lucy told the small cat as she clutched her necklace. Happy jumped onto her shoulder and wrapped his tail around her neck. The celestial mage opened her palm and looked down at the crystal. "Find Natsu," she spoke, the necklace emitted a golden glow as the flames inside began to dance. It floated upwards and pointed in Natsu's direction.


	11. Boss Battle

Hey guys! I don't know how long this story is going to be! Thank you all for reading this far! I'm sorry if parts of this story are not what you wanted/expected, but hey, that's part of being a writer I suppose! (: Once again, thank you for reading my story. I LOVE YOU GUYS!

I am trying to keep your comments in mind as I write, however, I will stick with the original plot I had intended. Thank you for your suggestions and support, it means a lot to me.

I own nothing but a creative mind!

-Yours Smitty

Boss Battle

Natsu continued to struggle against the tight confines to no avail. He knew the turtles weren't the enemy, and he didn't want to harm them. Deciding to conserve his power, he waited for the group of turtles to bring them to their master. The dragon slayer looked up after a moment and saw a small, steamy lagoon in the distance. A man with pink hair, brighter than his own, laid, seemingly asleep, in the water.

Natsu smelled the air around him, confirming that the man was indeed the source of the sweet-smelling toxin. Upon reaching the lagoon, Natsu saw small traces of pink being emitted from the man's hair that traveled upwards into the sky and also downwards into the water. Gritting his teeth, he used his strength to wretch himself away from the turtle's grasp and out of the cocoon.

"Alright, I need answers, and you're gunna give them to me!" Natsu blurted out as he starred into the water, taking a fighting stance. The man groggily opened his eyes and looked in the mage's direction as he stretched his limber arms. Amai rubbed his eyes before looking at Natsu once more. Amai suddenly burst from the water as hearts formed in his eyes, propelling himself towards the fire mage.

"Oh my!" he shouted as he clasped his hands together. "What a hunk! And he has such yummy pink hair!"

"What?" Natsu asked, confused. "Who are you?" Amai slowly walked out of the water, reaching the water's edge with a strut. He continued until he reached Natsu.

"Who am I, you ask," he chuckled, "My dear, I am Amai Doku, God of toxins and plant manipulation," he smiled as he walked behind Natsu and draped his lithe arms around the slayer's shoulders. "Your scent is rather intoxicating. A lovely mix of spice and citrus with a hint of burning wood," he inhaled. "Now, who might you be, dear?"

"Natsu of Fairytail, now get the heck off of me," he returned as he moved away from the green man. "What did you do to the turtles here?"

"I could tell you," he paused, "if you let me feel that delectable hair and body of yours." Amai moved closer and reached a hand to Natsu. "Let me do that, and I will even set them free. Offer yourself to me," he purred, the pink mist began to emit in larger amounts. The dragon slayer backed away from the swift man only to trip and fall on a rock. The dragon slayer looked down and saw plant vines wrapping around his ankle.

"Let go of me," he growled, looking up to the man.

"Now, why would I turn down such a delicious specimen?" Amai asked, vines were now wrapping around the dragon slayer's torso and arms. "It truly has been far too long."

"Because," Natsu said as his fist ignited with flames, "I ain't gunna be anyone's toy." He burst his hands free from the vines and punched through the rest of them. He jumped away from the supposed 'god'.

"Ah, a wizard. Even better," Amai whispered. "Boys!" he called. Quickly, the turtles surrounded Natsu, attacks at the ready. "Take him down a notch for me." The turtles all opened their mouths and various attacks of fire, wind, water, and earth were thrown at him, meshing into a cyclone of elements. Natsu jumped into the air and evaded the attack, letting the turtles take their own hits.

"You're so stealthy," Amai complemented. "A fire wizard, that explains why you're so hot and so…" he paused, "so Steamy-McDreamy," he mused in a very Juvia-like fashion.

"You could be more modest, you know?" Natsu blurted with a grimace as he turned to the turtles. "Fire dragon, ROAR!" he shouted, releasing a ball of fire from his mouth. The turtles were sent burning and flying away from Amai, who stood protected behind a wall of plants.

"Impressive," Amai spoke. "My turtles have no affect on you, but even you will not be able to resist my scent."

"Scent?" Natsu asked. Amai's body began to glow, a pink aura surrounded him. Flowers floated around him. The scent he emitted was visible and began floating towards the dragon slayer.

"Resisting is futile, Amai Doku always gets what he wants," he chuckled. Natsu sniffed the air around him out of curiosity and began coughing roughly. "That's it, give in, dear." Natsu grasped his throat and continued to cough. He fell to the ground as his knees curled towards his chest. The pink mist quickly faded away as Natsu attempted to catch his breath. "Come to me, dear Natsu," Amai purred with a smile. He heard the dragon slayer groan and then mumble.

"What's that?" Amai asked.

"That is the worst thing I have ever smelt!" Natsu said as he jumped up and held his nose, pointing his finger.

"What?!" Amai shouted. "How are you not crawling to my feet!?"

"Why the hell would I do that?" Natsu asked.

"You shouldn't have any coherent thoughts," Amai accused.

"Sorry," Natsu chuckled as he patted his own head, "I normally don't."

"You should be begging me to have you, you shouldn't be able to resist me!" Amai shouted, coming closer to Natsu, "Are you honestly telling me that you don't feel any desire for me at all?"

"What?" Natsu asked, confused.

"You don't find me attractive? You don't want to please me and answer to my every beckon call?" he purred as he touched Natsu's chin.

"Geez, you're annoying!" Natsu groaned as he pushed the man away. "Look, I only like one person, and I'm going through some crap right now. I came here to clear my head, and I don't need you to add to my list of complications."

"I can make your troubles go away, Natsu-sama," he purred, reaching a delicate hand towards Natsu's abs. "Just give in to my scent."

"I said I ain't dealing with you!" he growled as steam poured from his ears, pulling his arm behind him, "I LOVE LUCY!" Natsu shouted as his flaming fist came forth and collided with Amai's cheek. The green-man rolled a good distance from Natsu. He stood slowly and grasped his cheek gently. Looking bewildered at the wizard.

"You… you punched my face," he stuttered. "How DARE you!" he shouted. Amai's aura changed to a darker, redder color. The pink mist turned into a gray fog. The turtles ran far away, hiding themselves. The plants that surrounded Amai joined together with his body. His eyes began to glow dark blue, almost black. His hair grew longer, touching the ground. Amai shouted and reached forward and grabbed Natsu. His hand grew bigger, and soon he was able to hold Natsu firmly in one hand. Amai grew taller and stronger as more and more plants were absorbed into his body. "No one who rejects me and attacks me lives another day. Prepare yourself, wizard Natsu!"

"AHHHH!" Natsu shouted as Amai began to crush him in his fist. Natsu struggled against the grip, but couldn't break free. He lit his body on fire and began to burn the hand that held him captive.

"Ngh," Amai grunted as he released the slayer. Natsu jumped to the ground and looked to the giant towering over him. "You will pay dearly for your transgressions."

"You talk to much, you pervert," Natsu grumbled. "Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" Natsu shouted as he jumped into the air propelled by the fire in his feet. The attack hit Amai head on, sending him stumbling backwards. "Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" he yelled, rushing towards his opponent. Before Amai could react, the attack hit him once more, opening a wound on his chest. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" Natsu charged, landing another blow on the giant green man. Suddenly, Natsu's fist was captured in the flesh of Amai's chest, closing around his hand. Natsu struggled against it for a moment before turning to his left. A giant hand came close and captured Natsu once more.

"I will end you!" Amai shouted.

"I'll burn you to a crisp, you freak!" Natsu shouted as he once again ignited his body in flames. Amai didn't drop him this time, only squeezed him tighter. "Let go of me!"

"Your little trick won't work on me twice, my plants help me learn and defend against my opponents, good luck escaping me," he chuckled darkly, squeezing him tighter. Natsu shouted in pain, struggling against the hand around his body. "You demise is eminent," Amai smiled as Natsu screamed.

~~WJ~~

"We haven't seen any of those turtles that the master had told us about," Carla spoke as she looked around.

"I don't understand, they were everywhere earlier," Happy told them, walking to stand beside the white cat.

"Maybe Natsu defeated all of them?" Wendy asked.

"There is no way!" Happy told them as he spun around. "There were so many! He didn't even-" Suddenly a scream echoed through the forest around them.

"You guys, what was that?" Lucy asked.

"It sounds like… a scream?" Erza asked.

"You guys, Natsu is close, I can smell him," Wendy told the group.

"AAHHHHH!" a voice in the distance shouted once more.

"That IS Natsu!" Gray shouted before gritting his teeth. _Don't you die on me, idiot_.

"Let's hurry," Juvia shouted. Lucy was in the front of the group, leading the way with her necklace guiding them. _Please be okay._

~~WJ~~

"You're not going to make it out of here, Natsu of Fairytail," Amai chuckled as he punched the ground with the fist Natsu was bound inside. Bringing the mage back to eye level, he examined Natsu. There was a small line of blood trickling down his chin, the scowl on his face never fading. One of his eyes was shut and the cheek below it was cut. Leaves and twigs littered the dragon slayer's hair. "Say hello to your friends in hell!" Amai shouted as he threw his fist into the lagoon, submerging Natsu's head beneath the cool liquid.

Amai forcefully held him there as Natsu struggled. The god-like creature squeezed his hand harder around the fire mage. The trapped wizard opened his mouth to scream, only to breathe in water. Panicking now, Natsu fought harder, but he lost oxygen before he could do much. His eyes became lazy, and his vision began to blur and fade to black. Suddenly and quickly, Amai's hand was cut from his body. Erza stood wielding her black wing armor.

"Another wizard?" Amai asked. Erza stood in a fighting position, her sword at the ready.

"You've hurt a part of my nakama. For that, you will pay with your life," Erza bellowed as she charged forward.

"Natsu!" Lucy and Juvia shouted as they jumped into the water and pulled Natsu from the confines of the loose, grassy fingers.

"Say something," Lucy begged as she pulled Natsu's head into her lap, gently pulling the twigs and leaves from his wet mop of hair. Juvia carefully leaned her head onto Natsu's chest.

"He isn't breathing," Juvia stated, worried.

"Juvia, go help Gray and Erza, Lucy and I can help him," Wendy spoke. Juvia nodded her head as she departed. Wendy folded her hands on Natsu's chest and her hands began to glow. "Tilt his head back and breath into his mouth when I tell you, okay?"

Lucy nodded as she watched Wendy begin chest compressions. Receiving the signal, Lucy took a deep breath and blew into Natsu's mouth, covering his nose with her fingers. Desperation flowed through her as tears flooded her eyes. She sat up and waited for the sky dragon slayer to begin once more. She continued to watch Wendy and breathe deep breaths into Natsu as tears stung her eyes. _This is my fault. Please wake up, Natsu._ She begged silently.

Receiving the signal from Wendy once more, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Natsu's and breathed into his mouth once more. Air burned in his lungs as the fire mage's eyes popped open. He shot up from the ground , leaning forward and began to cough the restricting water from his lungs. Wendy and Lucy sighed with relief as they both hugged him from the side.

"Hey, when did you guys get here?" Natsu asked, shocked.

"Natsu," Lucy whispered.

"I'm going to help the others, Lucy you watch over Natsu and make sure he is alright, okay?" she smiled before dashing towards the others. Lucy looked up towards Natsu nervously.

"Thanks, Luce," Natsu smiled, hiding his eyes behind his bangs, "you always manage to save me somehow."

"No problem," Lucy smiled. Natsu looked down to her neck and spotted his gift. He felt himself begin to blush as he looked away. Lucy looked down to the necklace. "I love the necklace you bought me," she mentioned.

"I'm glad," he whispered, not meeting her eyes.

"Natsu," she said again, crawling towards him so that she could touch his cheek, drawing his eyes back to her, "listen, Gray and I are not together." Natsu's eyes widened slightly before he sighed with relief, but sat straight and ridged once more.

"But I saw you-"

"I know, and I am so sorry about that. I had gotten so used to being the only girl you went on missions with alone. I got jealous when you left and forgot about our shopping day, but that is no excuse for what we did- what I did to you," she paused, looking up to him. Natsu was waiting for her to continue. "I was able to eat some of the cheesecake you made for me this morning it was delicious, thank you." She smiled, Natsu merely nodded.

"I came to the hall this morning and was ready to admit my feelings for you. I even got this outfit to try to impress you," she chuckled, too embarrassed to look into his bright eyes, "when I got there, Gray had read an article with a picture of you and Juvia. We got the wrong impression and we both made bad assumptions… We hurt you…" she trailed, feeling bitter tears poke her eyes, "I hurt you…" she breathed in to calm herself, closing her eyes, "…and I am so sorry. I never should have kissed him back and I'm sorry you-"

Lucy was cut short when Natsu pressed his lips against hers. She wouldn't have believed it was him if she hadn't seen it and felt it. Her eyes fell shut as she allowed herself to surrender to him. For the first time, she was okay with being told that she talked to much. She gently reached her arms forward and wrapped them around his neck, tangling her hand in his hair, bringing him closer, molding her lips to his hot ones. She scooted closer, nestling between his knees. She felt him smile in the kiss before nibbling on her bottom lip. He was the first to break away and rest his forehead against hers.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," he murmured.

"Kiss me or shut me up?" she asked.

"Both," he answered with a chuckled.

"I'll let that one slide this time," she laughed before reaching forward and wrapping Natsu in a close embrace. Natsu, slightly startled, hugged her back gently. "Thank you for the necklace and the cake, you did so much for me, and I repaid you with hurt. Could you forgive me, Natsu?" she asked. He remained silent for a moment before he pulled away from her, an amused smirk appeared on his face.

"I don't know," he tapped his chin, "I got an interesting offer from a pretty-feisty, pink-head earlier," he joked.

"You mean the green giant over there?" she asked, pointing her thumb towards it.

"Yeah," he laughed. "He got mad when I rejected him. I told him that I only liked one person."

"That's a lie," Amai bellowed, throwing a new arm at Natsu.

"You're listening to my private conversation!?" Natsu yelled, pulling Lucy to his chest as they jumped away.

"You said you loved Lucy!" he said as Natsu and Lucy dodged the hand. Natsu was blushing like crazy. He released Lucy as he turned to yell at the giant.

"Hey, jerk! Mind your own business!" Natsu shouted.

"Natsu," Lucy asked, smiling as she touched his shoulder.

"It's true," he said as he turned towards her and wrapped a strong arm around her waist. She clung to him as he jumped into the trees so that they stood eye level with Amai, a few yards from him. Natsu turned towards Lucy. "I love you, and that's why it hurt so badly to see you kiss another man," he admitted in defeat. "but I wanted you to be happy. If Gray made you happy, that was okay. I just…" he lost his voice, "I just couldn't take it, seeing you together. That's why I left."

"Natsu, what can I do to fix this?" she asked, clutching his arms as they stood on the branch.

"One," he said, "don't kiss anyone else but me. You're mine, Luce," he kissed her and smirked at her blush. "Two, trust me," he kissed her again, "And three," he paused as he kissed Lucy once more, slightly longer than the two previous, "watch me kick this guy's ass." With that, he jumped from the tree and landed a fire dragon talon on Amai's back. Lucy touched her lips.

"I do trust you, Natsu," Lucy smiled as she reached for her keys and pulled out Taurus's, "but you're not going into this fight without me at your side." She spoke. "Open, gate of the golden bull, Taurus! Star dress form: Taurus!" she shouted as the two busted through golden light and charged for the impeding giant.

Gray froze the ground beneath the giant and managed to make him fall. Juvia cast water slicers onto the fallen enemy, molding them into water cuffs that were bound to the ice. Erza came in along with Taurus for a crushing final blow. Once the ax and sword were buried deep into Amai's torso, they pulled back and brought their weapons with them, taking defensive positions.

"Don't let your guard down, he learns from every hit!" Natsu shouted. Swiftly, the giant was back on his feet, wounds were gone.

"If this is the best you can do, you will never beat me! Puny humans!" Amai bellowed as roots burst from the ground and wrapped around Erza, Wendy, and Taurus. The roots rushed towards Natsu who was pushed out of the way by Gray.

"Gray!" Natsu shouted, reaching a hand towards the ice mage who caught it. They griped onto one another's forearms, serious looks on their faces.

"Natsu, I owe you an apology," Gray started.

"Remind me later," the fire mage said, "looks like I have to save your ass first."

"Natsu, don't worry, I can break out of this. You do what you do and wreck stuff," Gray smirked.

"Yeah, I will," he squeezed Gray's forearm before he let go, "but you and I have something to discuss when were done here," Natsu said as he threw a ball of fire at the vines holding Gray captive. The roots withered slightly and Gray broke free.

"Yeah, we do," he smiled, running towards Amai, ice-make magic at the ready.

(But wait, there's more. (: just give me a few more days!)


	12. Defeat

HELLO, BEAUTIFULS! I'm here once again to tell my fanfiction!

Once again, I am sorry if I have let any of you down with the way I have written my story. It is one of the first ones I've written in many years; HOWEVER, the story is not yet over! Also, I don't want any of you to think that I think Lucy is weak, this is just how I wanted the story to go.

Gihee XD I 3 drama.

Be patient, my dears. I hope you continue to read and enjoy my story!

I do not own Fairytail. I don't own anything at all! (unless a college career counts?)

Finally

Gray created a giant mallet and crashed it down on to Amai's head, distracting him. Erza reequipped into her giant armor as Wendy cast an enhancement spell and both mages were able to break free from Amai's root trap. Lucy closed Taurus's gate and opened Cancer's taking his dress form as well. The duo celestial magic users charged at the green beast, scissors in hand and began to cut vines and roots from his body. Amai shrieked as he began to shrink, his power source, quite literally, being cut off. Quickly, more plants came towards his body and began to fuse with him, replenishing his strength. Erza reequipped into her heaven's wheel armor.

"Trinity sword!" she shouted as dashed towards the enemy. The sword cut cleanly through Amai's leg and made him stumble and fall. Gray stood and concentrated, activating his Ice Devil form.

"Ice Devil's Rage: AHHH!" he shouted as cold air, ice, and snow shot forth from his mouth, hitting its target dead on. Juvia watched and waited before she came from behind Gray to charge with her own attack.

"Water Nebula!" she shouted as two columns of water came fourth and drilled into Amai's arms, breaking them to the point that they were immobile. Natsu and Wendy looked at one another and fist bumped before Happy and Carla took them into the sky.

"Sky Dragon..."

"Fire Dragon..."

"ROARRRRR!" they shouted in unison as they unleased a breath-taking attack on Amai. The giant gasped as their attack twisted together in a cyclone of wind and fire before hitting the green giant's chest and passing straight through it, creating a clear-cut hole in Amai's torso.

"Did it work?" Juvia panted.

"It looks like it," Lucy said, squinting through one eye.

"I wouldn't get my hopes up yet," Amai chuckled through a grunt. "You haven't witnessed true power, pathetic humans," he muttered as he began to glow dark red once more. "I will have my revenge, Natsu of Fairytail."

"What did you do to make him so angry?" Erza asked, turning towards the fire wizard.

"Nothing!" Natsu held his arms up in defeat, "he was hitting on me, and I told him no!"

"I am a God!" Amai bellowed, his eyes changing from blue to purple, "You cannot simply reject me and get away with it. I will end you, Natsu, but before I do that," he paused as he stood once more. Amai's body was even bigger and broader than before. The pink cloud above swirled as Amai's body drained the island of its plant life, sucking away its beautiful green. Amai looked down at the dragon slayer with a smirk, "I will kill your precious Lucy before your very eyes."

Natsu flinched, acknowledging the threat. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. His shoulders trembled. Lucy glanced towards her dragon slayer, worry written in her eyes. His face was shaded save for the scowl he wore. Natsu growled as his body ignited in brighter, golden flames. Erza stepped backward, shielding Wendy from his heat. Natsu's shaking ended as he finally entered his Dragon Force mode. The scales on his arms and cheeks sparked against the cool air of the island.

"You…" Natsu snarled darkly before looking up with sharp eyes and meeting Amai's own, "you will NOT lay a hand on Lucy!" Natsu shouted. "Not while I am around!" Natsu surged forth with a shout as he jumped forward and ran towards the enemy. The dragon slayer used fire beneath his feet and propelled himself forward, unleashing a furious attack of fists and kicks, all of which were blocked by the beast.

Amai growled as his arms were burned. He slapped Natsu's body back to the ground. The fire mage caught himself before he landed, and glared upwards. The wounds were so deep and charred that Amai couldn't regrow some of his fingers nor cover the holes on his forearms. He growled before turning to face Natsu. The dragon slayer jumped into the air, looking back and making eye contact with the sky dragon slayer. Wendy quickly recited a quick enchantment that increased tenfold all of Natsu's abilities. The fire mage smirked, that adorable 'fired up' smirk we all know and love, before looking down at Amai and charging for him.

"You won't stop me!" Amai chuckled deeply as he watched Natsu fly back down towards him.

"Do it, Natsu!" Wendy called.

"Aye, Sir!" Happy cheered. Lucy clutched her necklace as she watched Natsu come crashing down towards his opponent.

"I believe in you," she whispered.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Fire Dragon's Fist!" he wailed as he landed a blow to Amai's head. The two crashed into the ground, shaking the island.

Natsu rolled a good distance from Amai before slowly standing once again in a defensive position. He looked over Amai, looking for a sign that he was going to get up. Amai's eyes faded to a bland blue, and the aura that once showered him was gone. When no sign of standing was given, Natsu's shoulders went lax. He wasn't able to stand anymore, so his knees gave way and his dragon force left him. Lucy and Wendy ran to his side. Juvia and Gray slumped against one another as Erza reequipped into her Heart Kreuz Armor with a sigh of relief.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asked as she knelt down beside the fire mage.

"Yeah," Natsu smiled, "just tired."

"Here," Wendy smiled as her hands began to glow. Natsu closed his eyes and allowed the sky dragon slayer to heal him.

Natsu's eyes snapped open in an instant. He saw the green hand. Before anyone had time to react, the fire dragon slayer shoved Wendy and Lucy hard and in opposite directions. Natsu was swiftly lifted into the air by the crushing hand once more.

"Pity, I missed," Amai grunted as he stood slowly, his right arm had melted away as did part of his face. Amai stood on one leg and was covered in burns, revenge being the only thing that drove him to continue. "That one actually hurt, be proud of yourself," he said as he squeezed his fist. Natsu gritted his teeth, not wanting to give into Amai. _Dammit, I'm out of magic. It took everything I had in that last shot._

"Let him go!" Lucy shouted as she pulled her whip from her belt.

"Kinky," Amai chuckled. "I've decided, Natsu of Fairytail," he spoke in Natsu's direction.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" he spat in return.

"I'm going to keep you," the green giant answered simply. Natsu and the others gasped as a hole willingly opened in Amai's chest. The hand holding the fire mage quickly shoved Natsu into the opening before encasing him in the green, plant-like flesh.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted. At the same time, Juvia and Gray ran towards the giant together and joined hands, determined look in their eyes. Erza reequipped into her flight armor as Wendy entered her dragon force, the duo landed a series of quick and calculated hits. Lucy joined the field, closing her eyes. "Survey the heavens, open the heavens… All the stars, far and wide… Show me thy appearance… With such shine."

Juvia turned to look at her friend, smiling at Lucy's determination to save her beloved. Juvia turned to smile at Gray once more, who looked back her with an equally determined smile.

"You ready for this?" he asked.

"Of course, my love," she smiled. Juvia turned towards Lucy once more, listening for the final words of her incantation so that she and Gray could begin a unison raid.

"Oh Tetrabiblos… I am the ruler of the stars… Aspect become complete…" Lucy carried on; her eyes shut in concentration. She didn't notice the thick, snake-like vines slithering towards her from behind, growing into the shape of a hand.

"Open thy malevolent gate…" she continued. Juvia immediately released Gray's hands and dashed towards the celestial mage.

"Juvia!?" Gray shouted, going after her.

"Oh, eighty-eight stars- oof!" Lucy was once again knocked out of harms way. Juvia looked at her as the hand captured her, the determined look never leaving the water-mage's face.

"Finish the incantation!" Juvia shouted as she was pulled towards the giant. Lucy nodded.

"Oh, eighty- eight stars of the heaven… Shine! Urano Metria!" Lucy shouted, unleashing her powerful attack. Juvia transformed into her water body and phased through Amai's skin. She was able to grab Natsu and form a water lock around the both of them in hopes of protecting them.

"Juvia!" Gray shouted, frantic as a golden light shown throughout the island.

"What is this?" Amai asked. Orbs appeared above Amai before they came crashing down. Erza and Wendy flew over to Gray and Lucy, knocking them into the ground to take shelter from the onslaught.

"AHHH!" Amai wailed as his body began to disappear in the light.

"JUVIA!" Gray shouted once more, struggling until Erza.

"They're going to be fine!" Erza assured as she waited for the attack to end.

As the light faded, the group stood up and walked towards the mountain of debris that once was Amai. They looked around, each of them afraid to speak. Their friends were no where in sight. Gray was the first to move, running to the nearest mount of plant debris and digging through it.

"Juvia! Where are you?" he asked, scared. Lucy grasped her necklace as she watched him.

"Find Natsu," she commanded as she looked down to it.

The celestial mage watched as the golden light wrapped around it once more, however the necklace didn't lift as much as before, nor did the flames dance as brightly. She gasped as she followed the necklace to a particularly large pile of rubble. She knelt down beside it and began to dig along side Happy. Suddenly the pile shook before revealing a water dome encasing the two mages. Juvia smiled as she was able to drop the lock and fall. Gray was behind her in an instant and caught her.

"Don't scare me like that!" he cried as he hugged her to his bare chest. "I thought I-" he cut himself off by burring his face in her hair. She smiled up at him lazily.

Next to her on the ground laid Natsu. His breathing was shallow, and his skin was pail. Lucy padded her way next to him and ran her fingers through the soft pink locks.

"Amai was trying to absorb him," Juvia told them. "That's why he is so weak. Amai also was able to learn more about Na-kun's magic since they fought longer. That is why Na-kun's hit didn't end him."

"And you know this how?" Gray asked.

"When Juvia entered Amai's body, she was able to hear his thoughts," she shrugged.

"Look you guys," Wendy told the group. Each of them looked around as the plant life slowly began to return in a more vibrant green. The island was once again healthy and bright. The pink cloud was no more.

"There's the turtles!" Happy pointed out as a group of very normal turtles crawled towards them, each still having a colored shell and offering a polite smile. "Looks like Natsu was right about the toxin and Amai being connected."

"Who knew Flame-brain could actually think," Gray teased. "that Amai guy was a freak show."

"Indeed, he was. Nevertheless," Erza commented. "We need to find shelter for the night; we need to get Natsu and Juvia somewhere they can rest."

"I found a cave in a mountain side not far from where we are now," Happy told her.

"Let's go," Carla spoke as she trotted next to Happy. They walked side by side with their tails intertwined. Gray picked Juvia up and carried her on his back behind Erza and Wendy. Lucy leaned over Natsu and watched his breathing. She smiled, grateful that he was okay. She blushed at his earlier comments as he fought Amai. How could she have hurt such an innocent, kind, and protective man who cared about her.

"You know, I thought if I laid here long enough, you'd kiss me again, Luce," Natsu smirked, opening one of his eyes with a lazy smirk. Lucy smiled down at him as he attempted to sit up. She scooted closer to him so he could lean against her.

"Do you think you can stand?" she asked, pulling one of his arms over her shoulders.

"Yeah, so long as you help me," he told her, a light blush on his cheeks. Lucy nodded as she pulled him up slowly, letting him catch his breath. Lucy took this opportunity and pressed her lips against his.

"Are you two coming or not?" Happy asked, interrupting their moment as the sun began to set.

"We'll meet you there, I know where it is," Natsu replied.

"Aye," the blue cat replied, leading the others off. Natsu looked down, away from Lucy. Orange light from the sun made his tired eyes more noticeable.

"Natsu?" she asked.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, turning to look into her eyes. "I don't want you to feel obligated to be with me just because my feelings got hurt."

"Natsu…" she smiled, reaching to grasp his cheek and kiss the opposite one. "I will spend the rest of my life proving to you how much I need you and want you if I have to." Natsu smiled at her answer before resting his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes at the gentle touch.

"I'm still pounding some sense into that ice-jerk before we leave here," Natsu grumbled as they walked towards the cave.

(I know if an incantation is interrupted, it probably wouldn't work, but for the sake of this story I'm going to pretend that it works XD)


	13. Talking It Out

Wowie! Thank you, guys, for reading my story! You are all amazing.

I decided to make this the last chapter because of all how disliked my story was, but to those of you who enjoyed my story and cheered me on, I thank you very much.

I will continue to write, and will be taking requests since this story is finished. If you have an idea and you would like me to write it, please PM me!

Once again, thank you for you reading, Now please enjoy the last chapter of warm jealousy! (PS I'm sorry, I had finials this week!)

I **do not** own anything!

Talking It Out

Natsu and Lucy were the last of the group to arrive at the cave. Happy and Carla had begun to prepare places for each of the team to sleep. Happy trotted over to Natsu and carried him to a soft pallet made of soft grass and vines. He flopped down onto the green space and closed his eyes. Wendy walked over to him and cast a healing spell over him.

"You don't have to do that, Wendy. You need rest, too," Natsu yawned.

"Shut up and accept my help," she told him through a pout. He looked at her with a grin before situating himself comfortably on the pallet. Slowly and quietly, some of the turtles worked together to bring a large blanket of wool to the fire dragon slayer. Upon noticing their entry into the cave, Natsu sat up and smiled at them.

"Thanks," he chuckled. The leader of the group of turtles nodded before trotting away and out of the cave. Happy pulled the blanket onto the pink-haired mage, and soon Natsu was fast asleep. Worry was etched into the sky dragon slayer's eyes.

"He looks exhausted," Wendy commented as she moved away from the fellow dragon slayer.

"The emotional toil he's been through along with the battle today had to have finally caught up with him," Erza spoke as she helped Carla lay a blanket onto the ground. The red head turned to face the water mage. "Juvia, you should sleep here. This way we can keep you and Natsu towards the back of the cave. We don't need you two getting anymore injured." She offered a smile. "Besides, this is the softest blanket we have."

"But Erza-san, Juvia couldn't-"

"You deserve it," Gray insisted. Juvia caught Gray's eye before she looked away from the ice mage and walked towards the spot. She laid down and curled up on the soft blanket, resting her head on her arm. Hearing a shuffle, she looked and saw that Gray had followed her to the pallet.

"Gray-sama, perhaps you should sleep somewhere else," she whispered. Gray looked slightly taken back. He felt a pang in his chest.

"You're cold, aren't you?" he asked as he looked down to her.

"Juvia is fine," she answered. "It's just…" she muttered softly.

"I've got her," Erza interrupted him, her face showing no room for argument. "You can share with Natsu, I'm sure he will toss of that blanket when he warms up if you don't want to be close to him." Erza told him as she laid down beside Juvia. Gray shucked off his white jacket and laid it on top of the two girls before walking and sitting on a rock beside Natsu. The ice mage gathered some of the logs and placed them in the middle of the group. He grabbed a dry piece of wood and brought it to Natsu.

"Oi, ash-breath, your fighting sucks," Gray commented. Natsu shot up for a moment with a growl.

"I could kick your ass back to the guild hall, ice pick!" The fire dragon slayer bellowed as he breathed fire before collapsing back onto the pallet. Gray smirked at his now burning stick before placing it on the bottom of the pile of wood.

"Smooth," Happy joked. Wendy and Lucy chuckled as the fire dragon slayer snored.

"Looks like you and I get to share the last blanket," Wendy smiled as she pulled another blanket from her pack. She laid it onto the ground in front of Lucy before crawling onto it. Carla curled into Wendy's chest before closing her eyes. Lucy smiled before settling next to her. She looked up.

"Happy, do you want to-" she stopped herself when she saw the blue cat curled beside Natsu's head already sleeping. She smiled again before glancing towards the ice mage. Gray stood and walked towards the mouth of the cave.

"I'm going to get firewood," he spoke before disappearing. Lucy nodded before laying beside Wendy and resting her head on her arm. The celestial mage closed her eyes and almost instantly surrendered to sleep.

Gray wandered around the wooded area and explored its natural pathways; his shirt had been disregarded before he left the cave. He had returned a few times to make sure the fire continued to burn and to drop off extra wood. However, he couldn't sleep. He decided to take a walk and get lost in the woods. The ice mage came to a stop beside a slowly running river. It reflected the crescent moon above. Dipping his hand into the water, he sighed at the cool feeling. He sat down on an old tree trunk and buried his face in his hands. _I had a feeling she hadn't forgiven me so easily._ He thought to himself._ I don't know how to fix this mess. Lucy and Natsu did it so easily_. He grumbled.

"Ugh, why is this shit so complicated?" he asked aloud.

"Maybe it wouldn't be if you would talk it out," a voice mused.

"Shouldn't you be resting," Gray stated more than asking.

"Yeah, yeah," Natsu said as he plopped down onto the trunk beside his comrade.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I already told you we had something to talk about," Natsu replied, looking up to the sky.

"Can't it wait until morning," the ice mage groaned.

"You're not going to sleep, and I'm awake. Now is as good as ever," the fire mage returned.

"Who said you could decide," Gray growled.

"Me," Natsu answered simply. "Although," Natsu smirked. "You and I haven't been known for our communication skills," he finished as his fist caught ablaze.

"Oh, its on," Gray challenged as his hands began to glow. The two took fighting stances, one waiting for the other to launch an attack.

The duo charged one another at the same time, fists crashing into each other before sending them flying away from each other. Gray was the first to charge back, preparing a kick with a leg covered in ice. Natsu successfully blocked and returned with a punch to Gray's chin, sending him flying in the other direction. The ice mage caught himself on the ground, skidding. He growled before preparing his ice blade.

Natsu charged this time, no magic in his attack. His fist once again collided with Gray. Using his forearm to block, Gray returned his own blow and struck Natsu's side. The fire mage fell to the ground with a grunt before kicking the other's feet out from under him. Twisting carefully, Natsu and Gray both rebounded, panting. The ice mage ran and jumped into the air, bringing his fist downward and towards Natsu's head. The dragon slayer smirked and caught the fist and used it to slam Gray's back onto the ground. Natsu pinned him down and landed another blow to the ice make mage's face.

"Now, talk!" Natsu commanded, threatening to throw another punch.

"Nothing to talk about, moron!" Gray grunted as he used his legs to break free. He landed a kick to Natsu's chest.

"Oh, really?" Natsu asked as he wiped his mouth. "How about we talk about how you were angry with me?" he asked as he charged forward and threw a fist.

"What of it?" Gray returned, blocking with his forearm and charging a kick. Natsu blocked the kick and used Gray's leg to push him away. Natsu jumped.

"Or we can talk about how you got butt hurt and yelled at the person who loves you the most!" Natsu shouted as he brought both of his fists down onto Gray's head. "Or how you assumed I would try to hurt you like that?!" The fire mage added as he grabbed the ice mage's arm and threw him into the air. Gray grunted and twisted to land on his feet.

"We can talk about how you are supposed to be my damn _brother_! The one person I can trust not to go behind my back!" Natsu challenged.

"Look at you making this about you," Gray shouted before colliding with Natsu.

"It's not about me, dumbass," the dragon slayer growled as he caught both of the other's hands. Natsu head butted the ice mage. "It is about you and your huge ego! You're so damn worried about people leaving you that you make up stories and put up walls so you won't get hurt." Natsu shouted as he pushed Gray to the ground and stood over him. "Well, I've got bad news for you, ice-block. I ain't going nowhere, neither are you, and neither is Juvia. We are a guild, nakama, Family! Get that through your thick skull, moron," Natsu mimicked.

Gray stared up at him, dumbfounded. Natsu had confronted him on one of his biggest fears that he didn't even know that he had. The ice mage bowed his head as his bangs shaded his eyes. He looked down at the red spots on his arms and chest that would definitely leave marks. The ice mage's gaze returned to Natsu; he noticed similar marks on him.

"Next time you get some stupid ideas in your head about me or her, you should try asking us next time," Natsu crossed his arms. "It would save everyone so much grief," he sighed as he took his former seat on the log.

"You're right," Gray whispered as he stood. He walked until he stood beside the fire mage, his bangs covering his face. "You hear me? I said you're right, okay? I should have asked you first, and I shouldn't have made assumptions. I didn't take your feelings into consideration," he muttered as he looked up. Natsu stood still with his arms crossed. "I know I messed up, alright? I broke our trust that's been in place for a long time. I know you better than that," Gray admitted. "And I know better than to assume you know how to flirt," he joked.

"Hey!" Natsu shouted. "I can flirt if I want to!"

"Consider yourself lucky that Lucy likes your dumbass," he chuckled.

"The same for you with Juvia," Natsu cooed, catching Gray off guard. "All of that stuff you said to me just now, you need to say that to her. Also, you need to apologize for shouting. Girls do not like that at all." Gray nodded.

"Do you forgive me?" Gray asked. Natsu nodded his head in return. "Thanks flame head, I just wish I knew how to tell Juvia how bad I feel about this. Lucy, too."

"I'm sure they will come around soon. I haven't known either of them to stay mad at either of us for that long," Natsu murmured as he ran his feet through the water.

"I know, but… I need Juvia to understand that I…" Gray trailed.

"If you can't even say what ever it is around me, good luck trying in front of her," Natsu teased.

"Shut up, I'm trying," Gray groaned before clearing his throat. "I need her to understand that she truly is important to me. Like, I know that is was just _you_ that she went with on the mission, but just thinking about her being in a hot spring with another guy…"

"Say no more, I got it," Natsu answered.

"She's perfect for me, ya know?" Gray mused.

"Yeah, she's sweet, pretty, and skillful, complete opposite of you. You guys balance each other," Natsu teased.

"Idiot, it's the same for you and Lucy. I'm surprised you got a girl that tolerates your irritating ass," Gray mumbled before smiling.

"We got some good ones," Natsu replied.

"She is all of that stuff that you said, and so much more," he said as he looked towards the stars. Natsu followed his gaze. "She's my person, there's really no other way to explain it."

"I know," Natsu smiled. "It's like you found that one person you know is always going to be by your side no matter what."

"Exactly," Gray added. The two sat in silence for a bit, looking to the sky. Suddenly, they heard bushes behind them begin to rustle.

"Who's there?" Natsu asked. Lucy and Juvia stepped through the brush, small tears picked at their eyes. The two boys looked shocked before their faces lit up bright red.

"You…two…" Gray started.

"Heard…everything…?" Natsu finished. The girls nodded before coming closer to the boys.

"Juvia woke and saw that Na-kun and Gray-sama were gone, so she woke up Lucy," Juvia replied, wiping tears away.

"I told her I didn't see you leave, but last I saw Gray, he was getting fire wood, so we decided to look for you. We talked amongst ourselves while we searched," Lucy added.

"Then we heard you two fighting, but we thought it was best to let you brawl it out," Juvia smiled.

"Who knew that you two could be so sweet," Lucy asked as she came closer and hugged Natsu's warm chest. The fire mage scratched the back of his head as he looked down to the smiling girl wrapped around him.

"It's kind of cold out here, huh?" Natsu asked. Lucy released him slightly and looked up with a pout on her face.

"Hey, don't try to-" She was cut off by Natsu wrapping his scarf around her neck.

"Can't let you freeze, now can I?" he smiled. Lucy blushed darkly before burying herself in his arms.

"Natsu!" she smiled as he finally hugged her back. "Thank you for forgiving me," she whispered before looking up to him. "I love you, too." She leaned up and pecked his lips before resting her head on his shoulder. Natsu smiled and held her close.

Gray looked up and stared before he gathered the courage to come closer to Juvia, a slight blush dusting his cheeks. Juvia twiddled her thumbs as she watched him come closer.

"Juvia did hear it all, and she is really happy that Gray-sama thinks about her that way," Juvia began. Gray slowly reached for her hands. He took them and held her hands in front of himself, rubbing his thumbs across her knuckles.

"I am so sorry," he whispered, his eyes not leaving her hands.

"Juvia truly does forgive Gray-sama, but she doesn't want to be yelled at anymore," she told him.

"I promise I won't," Gray replied.

"Gray-sama doesn't have to worry about Juvia leaving, she won't. Na-kun was right about that," she smiled. Gray returned her smile equally.

"Let's go back to the cave and get some rest, yeah?" Lucy asked.

"Aye, sir," Natsu smirked before slinging an arm around Lucy's waist and leading the group back towards the cave. Gray continued to hold Juvia's hand. He leaned forwards and planted a soft kiss on her temple.

"I'm really am sorry Juvia, about everything. All that I did, I don't-"

"It's alright Gray-sama, Juvia already forgave you. Juvia is simply happy she got to listen to Gray-sama confess his feelings," she mused. Gray's checks lit up as he looked forward.

"Thank you," he replied before looking down to Juvia, "for not leaving." She looked up to him and smiled before sliding her arms around his waist as they walked. He wrapped an arm around her and holding her close.

Who knew that something like jealousy could lead to something so warm?

THE END


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